Night and Day
by jylener22
Summary: A recently escaped shoplifter. A knight dressed all in black with a brooding scowl and a closely guarded secret. A woman with a gentle smile and sad eyes. An unlikely trio, but they will all need to work together to get what they want most. My 2015/16 Ichihime Tanabata story.
1. Prologue: Escape

"Just a little further. Ugh, it just has to be…"

Rukia paused to sneeze and then quickly shake the dirt out of her eyes that had cascaded down upon her head when her head hit the earth above her. Reaching forward with both hands to pull herself along, Rukia felt her fingers sink into something squishy.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Rukia muttered, "Gross…I really hope it wasn't more bugs…or excrement…but then again, I suppose escaping criminal beggars can't really be choosers."

Pulling herself forward, Rukia saw that she had grasped mostly earth with something gooey inside. She couldn't be sure what the goo was and quite frankly, Rukia didn't want to know.

"Things could always be better and things could always be worse," Rukia said to herself as she started moving faster through the tiny tunnel, "Not quite sure how they could get any worse…but then again, why would I want to know that?"

All of a sudden, Rukia let out a startled squeak as the ground collapsed beneath her and sent her tumbling through the air. A moment before she got enough air in her lungs to scream, the wind was knocked out of her as her back hit some kind of water.

"Good thing I learned how to swim," thought Rukia to herself as she felt her feet hit the bottom and she pushed herself towards the surface, "Drowning in…whatever this is, definitely not how I want to die."

After she surfaced, Rukia took several deep breaths of air before she continued her conversation with herself by stating, "On the other hand, knowing how to swim…doesn't that make the term 'street rat' all the more applicable to me?"

Shrugging her shoulders and moving quickly through the water, Rukia said, "Then again, it's not the things that you know that will kill you. It's the things you don't know."

Stopping for just a moment, Rukia said thoughtfully, "Though, on the other hand, knights are trained in the art of combat and so should know how not to die in combat and yet they do so all the time."

Frowning, Rukia continued on her way as she kept up her conversation with herself by asking, "Why do they refer to combat and war as 'art'? Doesn't seem like ripping out each other's guts, lopping off someone's head, severing their limbs and the like would be very appealing or artistic."

Something caught Rukia's eye and she moved as quickly as she could towards it, all the while torn between trying not to get too excited and wanting to hope that she was right. Reaching the source, Rukia let out a kind of strangled cry of triumph. She had found a hole that was just big enough for her to squeeze through and that would transport her to freedom. What she had noticed was the light of the moon shining through the hole.

"Ready or not outside world," Rukia grunted as she frantically pulled herself through the hole, "here I come!"

A month previously, Rukia had been arrested for shoplifting. It had been Rukia's first time getting caught (not her first time shoplifting) and so the punishment should have been to pay a fine to the vendor she stole from or do labor for that vendor for a specific period of time and possibly if the magistrate had been feeling especially bored of late, might have ordered that Rukia's hand be branded with a 'T' for 'thief'. However, Rukia had been extremely unfortunate. The magistrate in question had only recently been appointed and so wanted to make absolutely sure that everyone knew that he was not a man to be trifled with. As a result, Rukia had been transported over fifty miles away to the prison known as 'The Nest of Maggots'.

At first, Rukia had been terrified. It was a fact that no one who had ever been taken to Nest of Maggots came out again. No one had any idea what they did with the bodies of the dead criminals, but pretty much everyone had a theory. However, once she got there, Rukia realized something. Sure, the structure of the building was impenetrable, the guards were mean and vigilante for the most part and the chains and cells were well constructed, but there was a flaw. Nobody had ever escaped because they didn't know where to look and even if they did, they probably wouldn't have been small enough to do it. But Rukia was definitely small enough.

The flaw was that, instead of a window, each cell had a grate built into the floor where the air would flow through. It wasn't a big grate, so a grown man, even if he was grossly emaciated, would never have been able to pull the grate aside and force his way through. However, Rukia, who was petite and rather small for her age, had little difficulty in doing just that.

So Rukia had spent most of her time working on making a kind of key for her chains from a piece of the grate that she had managed to loosen and pull away. When that was complete, Rukia had timed the guards as they made their rounds and then slowly worked on loosening the grate. After loosening the grate, Rukia needed to expand the hole underneath wide enough so that she could get a good head start before the guards noticed that she was missing.

Rukia had already been running for about a half hour when she finally heard the alarm bells announcing her escape from The Nest of Maggots.

After coming across running water and washing herself and her clothes as best she could, Rukia climbed a tree, stripped off her clothes so they could dry and tried to make herself as comfortable as possible so that she could get a bit of sleep.

"Catch my death of cold without my clothes on," Rukia mumbled as she curled up into a tight ball, "or catch my death of cold with my clothes on…not that they're that warm on a good day anyway."

Thinking of something, Rukia reached over to lay the clothes overtop of her as she said, "On the other hand, if I treat them like a blanket…"

Two minutes later, Rukia was dead to the world.

A figure enshrouded completely in black walked in near silence through the forest and stopped at the exact tree that Rukia had chosen. The figure tied the horse they had been guiding to a low branch and went about starting a fire. In the distance, a wolf howled.

 **Author's Note:**

Well...I did it again. Posted another story while I still have about seven others that a need to finish. However, in my defense, ever since I started writing fanfiction, I've always come up with a Tanabata story, so why break tradition?

Now, I know that Ichigo and Orihime have not shown up yet in this story, but they will in the next chapter, since this is my Ichihime Tanabata story for this year. I won't tell you what source material I am borrowing from just yet, but I will be honest and say that the basic plot line is not my idea. I just want to keep it as something of a surprise for now. If you figure it out, let me know because I'm really curious if anyone has an idea! :)

Hope you like it so far!


	2. 1: Meat and Meet

Rukia was startled awake by a ferocious growling. The most fearsome growling known to mankind: the growling of a ravenous, hollow belly. A split second after she located the source of the growl, Rukia figured out why her body was reacting in such a way: she could smell food. Real food. Not the questionably murky gruel that used to be served in Nest of Maggots, but honest to goodness meat roasting over a fire and possibly a potato or two.

In the blink of an eye, Rukia was dressed and she carefully made her way down a few branches in order to get a better look. Below her, was a figure enshrouded by a large black cloak with the hood pulled over their head. At a guess, Rukia would say that the figure was male from the breadth of the shoulders and how tall they were when standing, but then again, Rukia had seen some very powerful looking women, so she couldn't completely eliminate that possibility.

The figure went about tending to the fire and…oh, merciful heavens…seasoning the meat. Rukia's mouth was instantly flooded by a tidal wave of saliva. This person had to be wealthy to be able to carry their own seasoning around as they traveled. She herself had only ever heard tales of the sumptuous way meat would effectively melt in one's mouth and burst into a variety of flavors when seasoning was used. Now, to be less than twenty feet away from such a delectable morsel…Rukia's mind started racing with possible plans as to how she might snatch some of that meat.

Then, wonder of wonders, the figure got up and walked away into the forest! Leaving the meat completely unattended! This was Rukia's chance and she wasn't about to let it pass her by. Moving as swiftly and noiselessly as she possibly could, Rukia made her way skillfully down the tree. In her impatience, she jumped from the third lowest branch and then paused to listen for a time. When she didn't hear anything, Rukia licked her lips and crawled almost reverently towards the roasting meat.

As she started stretching her fingers towards her desired meal, Rukia jumped when she heard a voice behind her say, "Good grief. Now he's sending little kids after me?"

Spinning around, Rukia's eyes widened as she took in the sight of the figure dressed all in black emerging seamlessly from the woods. She mentally berated herself for not thinking about the possibility that the entire setup could have been a trap, that the figure had merely left in order to draw her out, but in her starvation and desperation, such a thought had never occurred to Rukia. All she had known was that there was food below and that she was going to eat it.

Stiffening her spine, Rukia thought to herself, "Well, if I'm going to die, I might as well do it with a bite of food in my mouth." And so, without considering the risks, Rukia reached out, wrenched a hunk of meat from the animal carcass and shoved it in her mouth.

Biting down hard, Rukia was torn between two powerful sensations: the mind-blowingly delicious taste of seasoned meat and the agonizing pain of something fire-hot in her mouth. Ignoring the pain as best she could, Rukia stared defiantly at the approaching figure through her tear-filled eyes as she stubbornly chewed and swallowed the meat.

Coughing a few times, Rukia wiped her eyes as she stood and faced off against the figure, who Rukia could now see was definitely a man, saying in what she thought was a death-defying tone, "All right then, I'm ready."

Closing her eyes tightly, Rukia declared, "Do your worst."

There were a few moments of silence before Rukia heard something metal being drawn and the man let out a resigned sigh as he said, "Very well then," and Rukia clenched all her muscles in anticipation of a sharp blade piercing her body somewhere.

Pain erupted on her forehead and Rukia's immediate reaction was to howl in pain and glare at the figure as she demanded, "What was that for?! Are you a sadist or someone who likes to torture his victims before killing them?! I've heard of creeps like you and I'm telling you now that you don't scare me!"

The man had since crouched beside the fire so that Rukia was now about eye level with him. At Rukia's declaration, the man's reaction was to look at her incredulously and ask, "Oh really? A supposed sadist like me doesn't scare you?"

Planting her fists on her hips, Rukia retorted, "No you do not! I'll have you know that I escaped from The Nest of Maggots, so there's no way you can be scarier than that place!"

The man's eyes widened at Rukia's words and he asked in an incredulous, choked whisper, "You what?"

Immediately, Rukia slapped her hands over her mouth. How could she have been so stupid as to admit that to a complete stranger?! Now he'd know that she was an escaped convict and would take her back there to collect some kind of reward…if they were even offering one.

Just as she was about to bolt, the man must have realized Rukia's intentions and said firmly, "Chad."

Rukia only had a split second to be completely confused before she was enveloped by a pair of strong arms and effectively restrained. Managing to twist her head around enough, Rukia looked up and saw that she was being held by a man wearing the exact same cloak as the other. Only it was bigger because this man was a lot bigger than the first.

Struggling mightily, Rukia kicked and screamed, "You'll never take me back! You'll never take me back alive! Just run me through and get it over with already! If I could reach your eyes, I'd claw them out! So help me I would!"

Deciding to try a different tact, Rukia immediately summoned a flood of tears and began to wail as she allowed herself to go limp in the man's arms, "I'm just a poor orphan child who's had a bad lot all her life! Won't you show compassion on a poor little girl like me? I want to live!"

"Oh, shut up already," said the man as he punched the top of Rukia's head. He didn't use a lot of force, but it was effective in surprising Rukia enough so that she fell silent.

"Now," continued the man seriously, "if you're ready to listen, let me explain a few things to you. One: no one here is planning on taking you back to The Nest of Maggots. Two: no one here is planning on killing you. Three: if you promise not to run away or create any more racket, I'll tell my friend here to let you go. Understood?"

"Yes sir," replied Rukia automatically and immediately she felt the big man's arms release her.

For just a split second, Rukia considered bolting, but curiosity held her in check. Usually, if a person like this man didn't want someone like Rukia around, they would do one of two things: chase them off or kill them. So, because the man hadn't done either of those two things, Rukia figured it was because he wanted something from her, so she was curious to find out what. She could always run later if the pair turned out to be creeps or maniacs, but somehow Rukia doubted it.

"With that settled," sighed the first man as he moved back towards the fire, "I only have one other question right now?"

Testing the roasting meat with his dagger, the man asked, "What possessed you to try and eat this flaming hot meat?"

Rukia's face flushed, but she grudgingly answered truthfully, saying, "I thought you were going to kill me and I had only climbed down from the tree in order to taste the meat with seasoning, so I ripped some off to try before you could kill me and deprive me of that simple pleasure."

Shrugging as he removed the roasting meat from over the fire, the man said, "I suppose that makes sense. The meat's done now, so we'll just wait a minute or two for it to cool down before we dig in."

At the sound of a snapping twig, Rukia's head whirled around to locate the source. It was another man dressed in the same black cloak as the others and he was carrying a bundle of wood in his arms.

"Took you long enough, Renji," said the first man in a flat tone, "I should think you would be able to gather wood in a forest filled with trees a little quicker than that."

Renji stalked forward and all but spat out, "It's not my fault I couldn't find decent wood near here. And any piece I came across that looked promising turned out to be damp."

Unceremoniously dropping the wood next to the first man, Renji said defiantly, "If you want the wood collected faster, why don't you do it yourself next time, Captain?"

Rukia felt a slight breeze as the big man behind her swiftly moved to lay a big hand on Renji's shoulders and say in a low, rumbling tone, "Enough Renji. Food's ready, so take a seat and relax."

For just a moment, Rukia was sure that Renji was going to shake off the man's hand and do something drastic. Instead, he muttered something under his breath and turned to find a seat. It was then that Renji noticed Rukia for the first time.

Instantly, his eyes widened, jaw dropped and he helplessly gestured at her while demanding, "Who is this? Why is she dressed like that? Where did she come from? Somebody talk to me!"

"Renji, sit down," said the first man in an even tone.

Voice shaking in frustration and irritation, Renji retorted, "I don't want to sit down! I want to kn-"

The first man rose to his feet and all but growled, "I told you to sit down, Renji."

Rukia mentally counted to two before Renji had enough presence of mind to quit gaping stupidly up at the man he had referred to as 'captain' and to do as he had been told. Honestly, she thought to herself, it's almost like watching a group of wild animals fighting and then some slinking away in defeat when the alpha wins.

The captain waited another moment or two before he said to Renji, "I can't answer all your questions right now about our guest because I don't know the answers myself. We're all hungry and cranky right now, so I propose that we eat first and ask questions later. Understood?"

"Yes sir," replied Renji in a more respectful tone.

"Good," said the captain in a calmer tone, "since I think the meat's cooled down enough for us to eat without scalding ourselves."

The captain was the one to cut the animal (by now Rukia had figured out that it was a rabbit) into equal portions (leaving some for saving or seconds) and serve it to the others. Then, he waited until they had begun eating before joining them.

All these thoughts were pushed to the back of Rukia's mind, though, as she received and immediately began devouring her portion. Now that the meat had cooled down, Rukia was better able to savor its succulent flavor. Never in her life had she tasted such delectable meat and it came as something of a surprise when it was all gone.

Without realizing it, Rukia's expression became so despondent that the captain sighed and said, "If you're still hungry, quit looking like a beaten puppy and ask for more."

Raising her wide, violet gaze to the man's, Rukia asked hesitantly, "I can have more?"

In answer to her question, the captain cut off another portion for her and handed it over without a word. This time, Rukia made sure to eat slowly and thoroughly savor every morsel of food.

As she chewed on her last bite, the captain asked, "Satisfied now or still hungry?"

Before she could answer, Renji cut in irritably, "Hey, why does she get offered third helpings and I don't?! And after I had to haul all that wood too!"

There was a long pause before the captain said slowly, "Renji, you're really pushing things this morning. Are you really that anxious for a fight?"

Jumping to his feet, Renji replied, "All I've done these past few weeks is travel, hide, travel some more, fetch wood, travel even further and then get more wood! I'm itching to do something else for a change!"

Letting out a resigned sigh and getting to his feet, the captain said, "Guess there's no getting around it. Can't let our skills become completely useless, I suppose."

Reaching up to free himself of the cloak, the captain said, "Fetch them," to which Renji's response was to nearly tear his cloak off as he dashed away.

As the cloaks fell away, Rukia figured out why these men probably kept their hoods up all the time. The captain's hair was bright orange in color and hung down into his eyes a bit, a little over his ears and around the nape of his neck. Renji, on the other hand, had scarlet hair that hung down to his shoulder blades. Such brilliant and unusual hair colors would definitely draw too much attention if they were in a town or city.

When Renji trotted back into view, his hair had been hastily tied up atop his head so that it almost looked like a spikey broom. In his arms, he was carrying two wooden practice swords, one of which he tossed over to the captain. The captain caught it effortlessly and twirled it a few times before standing ready and waiting.

Rukia jumped slightly when a large hand rested on her shoulder and large man's low voice say, "Let's move back a bit." Not seeing a logical reason to refuse, Rukia followed his lead and backed up about ten paces.

From what Rukia could tell, there was no sort of signal given when Renji charged at the captain and made two quick lunges at the man's knees and chest. The captain dodged both easily and knocked away Renji's sword with his own.

Even though Rukia's knowledge of sword-fighting was barely rudimentary, she was surprised and rather impressed to see that neither man moved around much. They might shift their feet a step or two forward or backward, but they weren't chasing each other around. Their fight was all about attacks, counterattacks and defensive maneuvers. No movement was wasted or extreme.

How long the fight lasted, Rukia had no idea, but finally she saw the captain perform a funny twist and flick movement that sent the wooden sword flying out of Renji's hand. While it was evident that Renji was frustrated with the outcome, the only outward evidence he gave was to clench his hands and kick the ground once.

Walking over to retrieve the fallen sword, the captain said, "I'm impressed, Renji. You improved your grip and it's made your attacks faster. Just remember to split your focus. Half of your brain needs to concentrate on reading and reacting to your opponents movements, while the other half needs to be aware of your surroundings."

Picking up the sword and using it as a kind of pointer, the captain indicated several spots on the ground and said, "You nearly lost your balance right there because you didn't realize that it was the opening of a rabbit hole. If I had pressed you in that direction, you likely would have stumbled over the roots of that tree. Or over there, the ground dips slightly and yet just enough to startle you if you don't know that it's there."

Lowering his head respectfully, Renji said, "Understood, Captain Kurosaki. Thank you for sparring with me."

Nodding once in acknowledgment, the captain turned to the man beside Rukia and asked, "So what say you, Chad? Anxious to hone your skills at all?"

Chad merely shook his head in response, to which the captain said, "Figured as much," before turning to Renji and handing him the swords saying, "Put these away and then we need to pack up."

Striding towards Rukia and Chad, the captain scooped up his cloak and said, "Now that we've all been fed and that young hothead has had a chance to blow off some steam, let's have a chat, shall we?"

While it had been phrased as a question, Rukia knew that it was really more of an order and even still she decided to comply and said, "All right then. Let's talk."

Sitting down, the captain leaned his elbows on his knees as he said, "Let's start with your name then and anything you wish to tell us about why you were in Nest of Maggots."

"The name's Rukia," answered Rukia, "Just Rukia. Have no idea who my parents are and have no idea who raised me until I was old enough to fend for myself, so I only remember living on the streets and doing what I could to survive."

Taking a seat across from the captain, Rukia went on, "As for why I was in The Nest, I was caught shoplifting."

The captain's eyebrows raised in surprise and then lowered in confusion as he asked, "Had you been arrested before?"

"Nope," said Rukia, "First time. The magistrate was new and thought he'd make an example out of me and so shipped me off."

"Sounds about right," the captain muttered almost to himself, "He tries to impress someone higher up by overexerting his power over someone below him."

Coming back to the present, the captain looked at Rukia and asked, "Now that you've escaped The Nest, have you any idea where you might want to run to?"

Crossing her arms, Rukia shrugged and said, "Not really. Like I said, I have no family that I know of and no friends who I can turn to, so I'll just have to fend for myself…" she paused and leaned forward slightly as she said meaningfully, "…unless I happen to find someone who is willing to let me tag along or even hire me to do something."

The captain returned Rukia's gaze steadily for a time before he said with a very miniscule smile, "You are a very perceptive girl, aren't you? Yes, as soon as I heard that you had managed to escape from The Nest of Maggots, I did consider that you might be able to help me with something."

Rukia didn't answer, but waited for the captain to go on and explain, which he did by saying, "While we don't have much time now since we have to pack up and leave, I'll tell you as much as you need to know for now.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki and I used to be a captain in the Soul Society army. My companions are Chad Yasutora, my former lieutenant, and Renji Abarai, my pupil and former cadet in the army."

Before Ichigo could say anymore, Rukia heard a high-pitched screech and the next moment a hawk landed on the man's shoulder. Turning his attention to the bird for a moment, he reached up to rub its feathers gently. For just a split second, Rukia thought that the man's serious gaze softened ever so slightly as he stroked the hawk, but that was utter nonsense.

Returning his gaze back to Rukia, Ichigo said succinctly, "As you have probably already guessed, I am no longer employed by the army and am on the run from them. Multiple times in the last year or so, my life and my companions' lives have been put in jeporady. This morning, I assumed you were another assassin sent after us to poison our food or something."

"Oh," was all Rukia could think of to say at first before the full meaning of what Ichigo had said hit her and she repeated, "Oh!"

Then, finding her tongue again, Rukia said, "All this information is really interesting, but it still doesn't tell me what kind of job you think I can do for you."

Rising to his feet, Ichigo said seriously, "I have been on the run for far too long and yet I have never been able to think of a plan that had even the remotest chance of success until you came along."

Looking Rukia straight in the eye, he said, "If you were able to find a way to break out of The Nest of Maggots, then I'm sure you'd be able to find a way to break into the Soul Society Army Headquarters."

"Oh…is that all?"

 **Author's Note:**

I know I said that Orihime would be showing up in this chapter...but things started progressing a little slower than I anticipated when I started adding more characters than I had originally planned, like Chad and Renji. So, Orihime will be making her appearance in the next chapter, I promise!

Additionally, I have one person who knows where this story is originally from and I'm curious if anyone else has figured it out.

As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. 2: Beginnings

Rukia was brought back to reality when Renji came running back and announced, "Horses are all ready and packed, Captain!"

The captain turned to nod at Renji in acknowledgement as he reached up with a gloved hand towards the hawk still perched on his shoulder. Carefully, he prompted the bird to climb onto his hand and then transferred it onto Renji's shoulder. Without another word, Renji took off with the bird in the direction he had come from.

Ichigo looked back at Rukia and said, "You only just met us this morning and right now you have no choice but to believe what I am telling you rather than inquiring and making sure that I am who I say I am before you agree to work for me."

Putting on his cloak and pulling the hood over his head, Ichigo went on, "I also have to be honest and say that if you choose to come with my companions and I, there is no way I can guarantee that you will complete this mission alive and uninjured. At this point, I also can't give you a rough estimate of how much I will be able to compensate you for your time, trouble and effort."

Dropping his hands to his side, he said matter-of-factly, "So, all in all, my offer to give you work sounds ludicrous at best and I will completely understand if you choose to accept what little food we can offer you and go your own way. Should our paths ever cross again or if my companions and I are questioned about you, we will never admit to having met you here, so you will have nothing to fear in that regard."

Ichigo paused to allow Rukia to process all this information and after about a half a minute she said, "You've laid out all the negatives quite clearly, so I'm curious as to the positives of me joining your little band."

The captain's mouth twitched ever so slightly at the corners as he said, "I can guarantee that you will travel farther than you ever have in your life. Food may be scarce at times, but whatever there is you will be entitled to a fair portion."

His dark brown eyes started to glint in a slightly dangerous way as he said, "Like I mentioned before, my companions and I have been attacked multiple times during our journey. When, not if, it happens again, I swear on my honor that my men and I will protect and defend you for as long as we draw breath."

Raising his arms again and then letting them fall to his sides, Ichigo said, "And that's all that I can offer you for now."

"Before I make a decision," asked Rukia carefully, "may I ask you a question?"

At Ichigo's slow nod, Rukia went on, asking, "Why do you want to break into the army headquarters?"

When Ichigo didn't answer for a while, Rukia was sure she had overstepped her bounds, but eventually he said cautiously, "I have a score to settle there and I will not be able to do so if I go charging in the front door. Since I was also a captain there, I know almost everything there is to know about the strengths of the headquarters, so I need someone with eyes and a mind like yours to seek out and exploit whatever seemingly insignificant weakness the headquarters has so that I can get inside."

Half turning, Ichigo asked, "Any other questions?"

Rukia crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them and stating, "Nope. I'm good for now."

"All right then," said Ichigo as he walked away, "I'm assuming you don't have any baggage, so our first order of business is going to get you some decent clothes."

Following after him, Rukia heard him mutter, "Or at least at decent as we can manage."

A little ways on, Rukia saw Renji and Chad standing by the horses. There were five horses in total, two which seemed to be pack horses. The hawk was now perched on the horn of one of the saddles that seemed to have been specially made for that purpose. As she approached the enormous (especially compared to her) animals, Rukia felt a small knot begin to form in her stomach. Some experiences of the rich and wealthy might turn out all right, like the meat, but others…

Her thoughts were interrupted when Renji caught sight of the approaching pair and called out in a rather peeved tone, "Captain, don't tell me she's," Rukia didn't at all like the emphasis he put on the word, "actually coming with us?!"

Ignoring the incredulous question, Ichigo strode over to one of the pack horses and began rummaging through one of the packs.

"Hey!" shouted Renji indignantly, "That's my-" but he immediately shut his mouth when the captain seemed to look over at him. While Rukia couldn't be absolutely sure because the man's hood was blocking her view, she was pretty sure Renji had just received a deadly glare from his superior.

"Note to self," Rukia thought, "pick your battles very, very carefully."

Pulling out a few garments, Ichigo walked over to hand them to Rukia as he said, "You have three minutes. We'll find you some good footwear later."

It took Rukia less than a minute to change clothes, but rather than going straight back so they could get under way, Rukia moved as silently as possible back in the direction she had come. She had time, so why not listen in and try to find out a little more about these guys?

"At least," Rukia mumbled to herself, "that will only work if they're actually talking right now…"

They were.

Even though they were speaking barely above whispers, Rukia had trained herself all her life to listen for the slightest noise and identify what it was. Chad was speaking at the moment.

"I understand all that, Captain, but what are you going to tell her? What are you going to tell them?"

Ichigo didn't answer right away, but eventually said, "There's only so much we can tell her at this point. First of all, we're not the only ones involved. It needs everyone's approval. Second, put yourself in her place. What would you think if you heard such a fantastic story?"

"I realize that, Captain. However, you should consider that we can't exactly keep this a secret for long."

Letting out a slight sigh, Ichigo said, "I understand, Chad," then he said in a more frustrated tone, "Everything's a mess. It would've better if I-"

"Don't say that, sir," said Renji in a surprisingly placating tone, "You would have died and she never would have recovered. None of us would have. This way we're all alive, so there's still hope."

"I know, I know," replied Ichigo in a slightly calmer and yet more brooding tone, "I just hate feeling so useless…I hate waking up and not knowing…you know..."

While Rukia had been sure that listening to their conversation would not completely make sense to her, everything she had just heard made her even more confused than before. What was going on? The only thing she was sure of was that there were others in this group, and yet there were only a few horses, so where were they?

On the other hand, Rukia now had a slightly better idea as to the personalities of these men, especially the captain. He was a man of pride and honor, but he was also someone who was well aware of his faults. There was also a strong feeling of trust between them, so Rukia felt quite a bit more confident with her decision to accompany them.

Creeping back about ten paces, Rukia made sure that she made enough noise to alert the men to her presence as she pulled at the clothes and said drily, "Not quite sure if this green is really my color."

Whirling around, Renji glared daggers at Rukia as he ground out, "Well, if the little miss prissy princess isn't satisfied with the clothes then I'll gladly take them back."

Narrowing her eyes at the taller boy, Rukia stalked towards him and said with a slight hiss, "If the stench on these clothes was any stronger, I never would have defiled my body by putting them on."

Nearly choking in rage, Renji spluttered, "Stench! Why I oughta-"

"That's enough, Renji!" Ichigo almost shouted as he gave the top of the boy's head a good, solid clout, "Anymore of your complaints, bickering, tomfoolery or otherwise will land you in more trouble than you know what to do with! Do I make myself clear?!"

Rubbing his head ruefully and trying to surreptitiously blink away the moisture gathering in his eyes, Renji said sullenly, "Yes sir."

"Now," Ichigo said in a dictating tone, "we've wasted enough daylight as it is. Renji, you're in charge of the pack horses like usual."

Looking down at Rukia, Ichigo said in a clipped tone, "I assume you've never ridden before," and at Rukia's affirmative nod, he gestured to Chad and said, "You'll ride with Chad then."

While she tried her best to hide the terror beginning to well up within her, obviously the captain had not missed it as he said in a slightly softer tone, "Chad's horse is very docile and the smoothest ride. You can't ride with Renji since he can't make sure you're all right and take care of the pack horses."

Walking over to his own mount, he patted the huge horse's neck and said, "And while I'd offer to let you ride with me on Mugetsu, he's a bit more spirited, so you'd be more than slightly sore before the day's out."

Finally locating her voice, Rukia said as brazenly as she could, "Oh, don't worry about me! I'll be able to ride circles around any one of you within a few days! Just you wait and see!"

Ichigo's eyebrow quirked upward in amusement along with the corner of his mouth for just an instant before he swung himself into the saddle. Renji quickly followed suit and when Rukia turned around she was confronted by the sight of Chad sitting atop his own horse.

Urging his horse forward a few paces, Chad reached out his hand and said, "While you might have more room behind me, for your first ride I think you should sit in front."

Nodding her head, Rukia gingerly laid her hand in the man's huge one. Next thing she knew, Rukia was perched in front of Chad and she immediately reached down to hold the saddle horn in a death grip.

In a low tone that only she could hear, Chad said in a low rumble, "You can relax. I won't let you fall and, like Captain Kurosaki said, Brazo Gigante will not jostle you about."

Managing to nod in understanding, Rukia forced her hands to slowly let go and trust what the men had told her. She'd never had occasion to trust anyone before and she was scared…and yet on the other hand she felt strangely liberated.

Rukia didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she heard the captain's order to, "Make camp here for the night," and she jolted slightly from the shock.

Feeling a hand carefully grip her upper arm, she heard Chad say with a slight chuckle, "Easy there. I'll help you down in a moment."

Expertly dismounting the horse, Chad then reached up and effortlessly lifted Rukia off the horse and set her carefully on the ground.

"Thank you, Mr. Chad," said Rukia in a rather vague tone as she tried to clear the remaining cobwebs from her brain. While she did notice that she was slightly sore, Rukia was extremely impressed at just how correct Ichigo and Chad had been about the ride. She had slept extremely comfortably and without a single care or worry. She couldn't think of a single instance when that had happened before.

Looking around, Rukia's eyes connected with Renji's as he went about unloading the pack horses.

Slinging a bundle over his shoulder, Renji said to her, "You slept the whole way here. You didn't even wake up when we got down to rest and water the horses."

Rukia's first impulse was to fling back some sort of retort when she stopped and considered what had just been said. Renji had simply stated a fact and was not looking for a fight.

Feeling her face flush slightly, Rukia tried to use a nonchalant tone as she said, "The ride was more comfortable than I would have guessed. I also didn't get much sleep last night."

Trying not to snort, Renji said, "Yeah, I could tell by the way you were snoring this morning that you weren't asleep at all."

It was a moment or two before Rukia realized that her mouth had dropped open in disbelief and incredulity. This boy was the absolute limit!

"I do not snore!" Rukia said in a peeved tone and stamped her foot on the word 'not'.

"And how would you know?" asked Renji with a smile, "You're usually asleep when you do it."

"Why you little-" Rukia ground out, to which Renji actually snorted as he said, "Hey, I'm not the one who's little here."

Before either could say another word, the captain stepped between them and glared equally at the two adolescents. Both the boy and girl were torn between staring miserably at the ground and trying to look up at the captain's ferocious scowl.

"I've had enough of this," Ichigo said slowly, "Renji, I warned you this morning about this and tell me, what was I just hearing you do?"

Renji swallowed hard before he managed to say, "Teasing and bickering with her."

"Exactly," the captain snapped before turning to Rukia and saying, "You are in a different position than Renji since you are not nor have you been under my command. However, because you are now employed, protected and provided for by me, you will abide by the rules and guidelines of this group. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," said Rukia automatically.

"You two," continued Ichigo, "will learn how to get along and speak to each other civilly by tomorrow night or I will forbid you to even make a sound in the other's presence for as long as we are on this mission. Understood?"

"Yes sir," said Renji and Rukia in unison and in as humble a tone as they could manage.

"Now," Ichigo said quickly, "you two will work together to unload the horses and set up camp. I want it all done well before the sun goes down. Tomorrow, I will decide on a suitable consequence for all this squabbling. Get to it."

Without another word, Renji and Rukia set about their work. Knowing that Renji probably had some sort of system for doing this, she hung back slightly to let him unpack the horses and then took whatever he held out to her over to where the captain and Chad were gathering firewood and making a sort of fire pit.

As she worked, Rukia's mind considered just how different her life was from yesterday. Before, she had been working on breaking out of prison and she was along like she had always been. She had needed to be completely self-reliant. Now, things were completely turned upside down. She was part of a group and she was expected to work together with them. In theory, Rukia should have felt stifled and anxious, but instead she felt relaxed and free. It was really strange and she decided to think over it more another time.

After camp was set up and the horses were brushed and fed, food was prepared and eaten by the group. Not long after that, everyone turned in for the night.

Having slept almost all day, Rukia dozed off for a time and then woke up not long after the sun went down. Turning onto her back, Rukia folded her hands beneath her head and gazed sightlessly at the sky while her brain considered everything that had happened so far.

"I'm with a group of men," thought Rukia to herself, "Well, make that two men and one boy. One little, nose wiping boy." The captain never said that she couldn't think uncharitably of that red-haired…what would be a good word for him?

"Hmm…his hair is red and spiky, so maybe he could be 'Pointy Redhead'. No, that's just stupid. What's something pointy? A spear…but he's a soldier, so it might be a compliment. What's something red? How about…an…apple? Why would someone be offended by that?"

Scratching her nose, Rukia furrowed her brow in concentration as she thought, "There's something that boy reminds me of…but what was it? If I could just remember…"

Then it came to her. A year or two ago, Rukia had seen a parade of exotic animals being taken to the Soul King's Palace. One of them had particularly grabbed her interest due to its grating screams and hoots, plus its colorful behind.

"What was the name of that animal? I think it started with 'd' maybe…no 'b'. Bingen? No. Blacken? No. Blingben? No. Blooble? No. Bluboon? No. Baboon? Baboon. Yes, baboon! He's a Red Baboon!"

Clapping a hand over her mouth, Rukia tried to suppress her giggles as she looked at Renji's sleeping form and whispered, "You're a Howling Red Baboon!"

"That's not a nice thing to call someone."

Rukia's heart skipped a beat or two while her body froze in shock. What should she do? If she tried to run, whoever was behind her would just catch her. If she tried to scream and warn the others, they might just slit her throat.

Without turning around, Rukia managed to ask in a hoarse whisper, "What do you want?"

"Just want to know who you are, little missy," said the voice.

Another voice asked in a rather reproachful tone as Rukia heard footsteps behind her, "Uryu, what are you doing? Why did you wake her up?"

"I didn't," replied the first voice, which apparently belonged to whoever Uryu was, "She was already awake and giggling to herself when I approached her."

"Oh," said the second voice as the footsteps stopped, "Even so, you're scaring the poor child."

A few moments later, Rukia's body jerked to life again when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Looking behind her, Rukia could make out two hooded figures in the low firelight. From the voices, Rukia guessed there was a man and a woman and that the woman was the one touching her shoulder.

"Don't be frightened," said the woman's voice gently, "We are…" she paused for a moment before she said, "friends of Captain Kurosaki and the others."

The man stood and said quickly, "A moment, my lady."

Rukia felt the woman squeeze her shoulder gently before rising and going a little ways off with the man named Uryu. Getting over her shock quickly now, Rukia strained her ears to pick up their conversation.

"What are you doing, my lady?" asked Uryu somewhat incredulously, "Why would you tell the girl that we know the captain? She is going to get suspicious."

"Uryu," replied the woman calmly, "may I point out that we might not have had to explain our presence here if you hadn't spoken with Rukia in the first place."

Rukia flinched again in surprise. How did they know her name?

"You are correct, my lady," said Uryu in a calmer tone, "I wasn't thinking. When I approached the campsite, my only aim was to ensure that the girl-"

"Rukia."

"I beg pardon?"

"Her name is Rukia, Uryu. Please use her name."

"Very well, my lady," said Uryu with a slight sigh, "I went to make sure that Rukia was sufficiently asleep before Tatsuki and I set up a perimeter around the camp to keep watch."

"And I commend you for that, Uryu," replied the woman, "However, now that Rukia knows we are here, there's nothing for it other than to introduce ourselves."

Uryu didn't answer immediately, but eventually said, "As you wish, my lady."

Hearing their footsteps, Rukia tried to look as innocent as possible as she sat up to look at them. As the blanket fell away, Rukia gave an involuntary shiver.

"Oh my dear," said the woman gently, "you are cold. Let's move you a little closer to the fire and," reaching up, she undid her cloak, saying, "you can share my cloak."

Doing as she was told, Rukia stood with her blanket and allowed the woman to guide her to a log that had been drawn up earlier as a make-shift seat. Uryu moved around them in order to collect a few logs and place them on the fire. In the increased light from the fire, Rukia turned to take a closer look at the woman.

For the second time that day, Rukia's mouth dropped open, only this time in shock and awe. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful. Smooth, clean, glowing skin and long, softly curling, shimmering hair. Her face needed no cosmetics like other wealthy women that Rukia had seen. As she looked at Rukia, the woman's smile was genuine and kind. Yet, when Rukia looked into the woman's eyes, Rukia felt her own heart twist and pull slightly, however, she couldn't quite pinpoint why.

Rukia was snapped back to the present when the woman introduced herself, saying, "My name is Orihime Ku-…I mean, you can call me Orihime."

 **Author's Note:**

I don't have much to say right now because I need to get to bed so I can get up early tomorrow morning. But I wanted to get this done since I promised someone that I would have it posted yesterday, so it was worth it.

All right, addressing the anonymous guest's review, yes I do realize that the picture for this story comes from the scene where Rukia was injured by Grimmjow. However, I don't think it's necessarily an Ichiruki moment and even if it was, I don't see how that means that I can't use the picture here. When I chose the picture, I was looking for something that showed Ichigo and Orihime looking sad and forlorn and that was the best that I had that actually fit into the thumbnail size. I don't like using the same picture twice, so unless I find something else to use, the picture will have to do.

Now, in the next chapter I will reveal the source material for this story. So if anyone would like to guess before that point, feel free to do so!

Hope you all enjoyed this part and I will hopefully get the next one out shortly as well! :)


	4. 3: Friends and Promises

As Rukia vaguely nodded in acknowledgement of Orihime's introduction, she wondered exactly how she should broach the subject of just how Orihime knew her name. Orihime took care of that.

"You look perplexed. Is something the matter?"

"Um," Rukia answered slowly, "when you and your friend were over there, I really wasn't trying to be rude, but I heard you use my name and…"

"I see," said Orihime with a small smile, "and you're wondering how I could possibly know your name when we've only just met."

When Rukia nodded in assent, Orihime explained, "The answer to that would be that Captain Kurosaki told me about you. He didn't tell me much more than your name and that he had hired you to do a job."

Standing up and walking around to add some more wood to the fire, Orihime said, "So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get to know you a little better," she gave Rukia a bigger and warmer smile as she said, "I haven't really had a good, long conversation with anyone in a long time."

Finding herself smiling back, Rukia asked, "Well, what do you want to talk about?"

Sitting back down on the log, Orihime said, "Whatever you would like."

Rukia rubbed the back of her neck and looked into the fire as if it were a lifeline that contained answers to the entire universe. It was one thing to talk and converse with men who lived rough and on the run, mostly because they didn't talk. When they needed to say or ask something they did, no wasted words involved. The person next to Rukia right now was a woman, but not just a woman, a lady. A real, bona fide lady. Someone who had been raised to be graceful, poised and polite no matter what they did. Someone who was taught the proper way to talk with people in different social or political circles. And this lady wanted to talk with Rukia?! What would she say? How should she say it? What would happen if she said the wrong thing and offended the lady?

Seeming to sense Rukia's distress, Orihime reached out to lay a hand over Rukia's and squeeze lightly as she said, "I didn't mean to put any undue pressure upon you. If you would prefer just to enjoy the firelight and night's peace, that is acceptable as well."

Rukia was about to extract her hand in order to wave them in front of her, but instead shook her head vigorously and said, "No, no! It's not that! I just…I just…"

"Aren't used to conversing with someone like me?" Orihime asked kindly. Before Rukia realized what she was doing, she felt her head slowly nodding in answer.

Orihime was silent for a time and simply studied Rukia. Usually, one might feel rather uncomfortable when another person gives them a rather scrutinizing look, but since Rukia was also returning Orihime's gaze and trying to figure out a bit more about her, it wasn't so bad.

Besides what Rukia had already noticed about Orihime's startling beauty, Rukia thought that Orihime was probably about ten years older than herself, which would make her about twenty-five years old. To Rukia's observant and learned eye, Orihime's clothes were well worn and showed definite signs of fading from frequent washing, yet they were of good quality so had held up well over time.

Looking past the woman's physical appearance, Rukia was thoroughly entranced by Orihime's expressive face. Over the years, Rukia had become very good at reading people and determining if they could be marginally trusted or should be avoided altogether. Life was tough enough on the streets on your own without adding other people's troubles, vices or motivations into the mix. However, just like she had discovered with Ichigo and Chad, as Rukia looked into Orihime's deep gray eyes, the girl knew for a fact that Orihime could be trusted to keep a secret.

"Probably because she has plenty of her own."

As soon as the thought crossed Rukia's mind, she immediately shoved it away and scolded herself for being silly. Of course the woman probably had secrets, what person didn't? However, as soon as Rukia considered that, she allowed her thoughts to dwell there for a few moments. Yes, Rukia was sure that if Orihime promised to keep someone else's secret, she would take it with her to her grave. Also, Rukia was sure that this woman had secrets of her own, but…there was something… Rukia remembered the deep sense of sadness she felt when she first looked into Orihime's eyes and a vague idea occurred to her. By nature, Orihime was an open and honest person and she did not like having to be careful about what she revealed to others when it came to talking about herself, which was probably why she had invited Rukia to begin the conversation. Orihime wanted to keep the conversation away from certain topics so that she wasn't faced with having to mislead or flat out lie to Rukia.

Turning around, Orihime addressed Uryu asking, "Would you be so kind as to bring me my satchel?"

Inclining his head, Uryu left without a word, which rather surprised Rukia. While he seemed like the type to follow orders most of the time, he also seemed the type who was loathe to leave the person he was looking after alone with a strange girl.

"Well," Orihime said as she looked back at Rukia, "I just had an idea for how we could get more comfortable around one another, but only if you are in agreement."

While she thought that she probably knew the answer already, Rukia asked anyway, "You mean besides sitting and chatting?"

Letting out a soft laugh, Orihime replied, "We can do that, most certainly. However, I was thinking more along the lines of doing something together that you really can't do with the menfolk."

Completely intrigued, Rukia found herself staring at Uryu avidly as he reappeared carrying a satchel. As he passed it over into Orihime's hands, Rukia's gaze was riveted on the woman's hands as they undid the fastenings and reached inside.

As she rummaged around inside, Orihime explained, "You won't be at all surprised to hear that I was once a lady from a rather influential family," a slight shadow passed over her face as she said, "Unfortunately, I can't share with you exactly which one at the moment."

"That's all right," Rukia said automatically while still looking intently at the satchel.

Giving Rukia another smile, Orihime went on, "It also won't come as a shock when I tell you that just like Captain Kurosaki and the others, Uryu, my friend Tatsuki and I are also on the run," Orihime was just about to say something when she checked herself and said instead, "And as a result, I had to leave most of my possessions behind."

Finally finding what she had been looking for, Orihime pulled a brush from the satchel and said, "However, one of the first things I made absolutely sure to bring along was this," she ran a finger along the back of the brush almost lovingly as she said, "I can live just fine without fancy gowns, elaborate hairstyles, sparkling jewelry and expensive cosmetics, but the one thing I couldn't leave behind was this brush."

Holding it out for Rukia to take and inspect, Orihime said, "Even after a hard and grueling day of travel or just a long, grueling day in general, there's nothing like the feeling of a brush going through your hair to help you feel relaxed."

"Really?" Rukia asked in wonder, "Brushing your hair does that?"

"Want me to show you?"

Rukia immediately nodded her head. She had only ever run her fingers through her hair, wetted it down with water or in extreme circumstances had used a handful of straw or even a horse's brush.

"All right then," replied Orihime, "You're going to have to sit in front of me."

Doing as she was bidden, Rukia sat down in front of Orihime and waited. A tingling in her scalp alerted Rukia to the fact that Orihime was about to start and for just a moment, Rukia considered bolting. People who usually tried to touch her either wanted to hurt her, coerce her or exert their will over her, but Orihime wasn't trying to do that and so Rukia mentally forced herself to relax. A moment later, Orihime's hand made contact with the top of Rukia's head.

About a minute or so after Orihime started brushing, Rukia was rather surprised to realize that she was relaxing almost exactly like she had done with Chad on the horse. Rukia was positive that her hair was probably in a dreadful state with tangles and forest debris galore, but Orihime never made mention of it and Rukia didn't feel the least bit of pain from the brush's pulling. Orihime's free hand alternated between holding chunks of hair so that she could gently brush out the tangles and skillfully massaging Rukia's scalp. While eating the seasoned meat was still her favorite, Rukia thought that she could definitely get used to this new perk.

"Your hair is such a lovely color," Orihime said softly as she continued to brush, "It would only need a little care to make it soft and shiny as a raven's wing."

Before Rukia could stop herself, she blurted out, "Never had a need to look after my hair before what with living on the streets and not wanting to be noticed."

"I understand," replied Orihime kindly, "And one can't afford to be finicky about one's appearance out here in the wild."

Again, as if sensing what Rukia was about to say, Orihime went on, "It's all right if you are content to let me sit and brush your pretty hair. However, it would be my pleasure to teach you a thing or two about haircare and such if you want."

Patting Rukia's shoulder, Orihime said, "Now, if you wouldn't mind turning around and sitting up on your knees for me."

Doing as she was told, Rukia faced Orihime while she put the brush away and then pulled out a small, plain wooden canister from the satchel. Taking off the lid, Orihime daintily dipped two of her fingers inside and then reached for Rukia's hands. For the next minute or so, Orihime thoroughly massaged the ointment into Rukia's hands and wrists. It felt delightful. Then, Orihime took out a cloth, poured a small amount of water from her drinking horn onto it and then carefully yet methodically washed Rukia's face. Not once did it ever cross Rukia's mind to pull away or tell her to stop.

When she was finished, Orihime sat back with an even wider smile than before and said, "There. All done," and then pulled out a hand mirror and handed it to Rukia.

Never really having seen her reflection before, unless one counted looking at oneself on a water surface, Rukia was not really prepared for what she saw. The mirror showed her the skinny face of a girl with pale skin that looked even more so because of the pitch black of her hair and brilliant and yet deep color of her eyes. The dark hair was smooth on top of the head and yet ended rather abruptly just near the chin and curled slightly at the ends in uneven pieces. Then, right between the wide, violet eyes was a patch of hair that refused to do anything else other than flop about and tickle the little, pert nose. While no comparison to the beauty sitting beside her, Rukia considered herself to be pretty enough at the moment. Certainly a sight better than she probably had been half an hour previously.

Grinning over at Orihime, Rukia said in a partial state of shock, "I look all right."

Letting out a soft laugh, Orihime replied, "More than that, you are quite fetching and pretty."

Not knowing how to respond to that, Rukia just sat there as Orihime went on, "You are like a petite fairy with your tiny hands and sparkling eyes. Your hair is thick and straight, yet can be nicely arranged, I think, if you grew it out a bit."

Trying not to blush, Rukia asked, "You really think so?" and Orihime merely smiled in response.

Just then, Rukia saw Uryu reach out and lay a hand on Orihime's shoulder. The touch must have been a signal of some kind for Orihime took hold of Rukia's hands and squeezed, not comforting or massaging, but urgent and warning. Of what she was being warned, Rukia guessed that it was likely attackers like Captain Kurosaki had mentioned that morning.

Without moving her head, Rukia looked at the three men's sleeping figures on the other side of the fire. Wouldn't now be a good time for them to rouse themselves so as to keep their promise to protect her? And yet, they slept on.

Rukia had no more time to think on the subject as the next instant Orihime threw herself over Rukia and pushed them both flat on the ground. As her eyes opened wide in shock, Rukia was barely able to make out a missile that flew over her head and she knew instantly that it absolutely would have hit her had not Orihime acted so quickly. A moment after she hit the ground, Rukia heard what she imagined was Uryu loosing an arrow of his own before jogging a few steps forward to take a defensive position over the two females sprawled on the ground.

While she tried to remain as still as possible, Rukia's hearing was slightly disrupted by the dry leaves crackling near her ears at the slightest movement. However, she did manage to pick up the snapping of a twig a little to her right. Apparently, Uryu heard the sound as well since he let fly another arrow in that direction. This time, the arrow seemed to have found its mark as a quick yelp of pain emanated from that direction. Rather than running and inspecting his felled enemy, Uryu erred on the side of caution and remained vigilantly standing where he was as he automatically set another arrow on his string.

About thirty seconds passed in complete silence before Rukia heard the sound of an owl hooting not far outside the ring of firelight. She wouldn't have given it any thought under normal circumstances, but at the sound, Rukia noticed that Orihime seemed to relax slightly and her expression became rather relieved.

However, the three of them remained motionless for a minute or two longer before Rukia heard a clipped tone call from the darkness, "All clear!" and Uryu immediately put his arrow and bow away so that he could turn to help Orihime and then Rukia to their feet.

As Orihime and Rukia brushed themselves off, Uryu asked, "Are you hurt, my lady?"

"No, no," Orihime answered automatically before asking Rukia, "And you? I hope you will forgive me for pushing you to the ground like that."

Giving the older woman an incredulous look, Rukia said, "You saved my life. If you hadn't knocked me over, that arrow would have gutted me."

"Well, maybe not gutted," replied the clipped voice from earlier, "but it would have at least clipped your wings."

Turning around, Rukia saw a woman around Orihime's age stride into the firelight. The only reason Rukia was able to tell that the person was a woman was based on the feminine shape of her face and eyes. Rukia was sure that under the masculine clothes similar to the ones she herself was wearing the woman's physique would also contribute to identifying her sex, but the clothes certainly did a good job of masking it. Her hair was a bit longer than her shoulders, but was tied behind her neck for practicality's sake. It seemed to have been cut in a way that Rukia herself had done: by taking something tolerably sharp and chopping away.

"About time, Tatsuki," said Uryu in a slightly testy voice.

Tatsuki's brown eyes flashed as she retorted, "And what do you think would have been different if I had made it back to camp sooner, huh? Both of us would have been pinned down with no way of knowing how many were out there or where they were."

"I do concede your point," replied Uryu, "I just also speak to the fact that we don't know if anything's happened to you when you take that long to return."

While Tatsuki initially opened her mouth to make another comment, she quickly closed it and nodded once in understanding before jerking her head in Rukia's direction and saying, "I thought the girl was supposed to be asleep with the others."

Placing a hand on Rukia's shoulder, Orihime said calmly, "She woke up and her name is Rukia, Tatsuki."

Giving Orihime a half grin, Tatsuki quirked an eyebrow and said, "That attached already, are we?"

Shaking her head with a chuckle, Tatsuki stuck out her hand to Rukia and said, "The name's Tatsuki. Tatsuki Yasutora."

As she reached out to accept the proffered hand, Rukia couldn't help thinking the name sounded rather familiar as she replied, "And I'm Rukia. Don't have a last name."

Further conversation was halted when they heard a wolf howl. It was not far away. Ten seconds later, yells, screams and running feet could be heard making their way towards the camp. As those sounds drew closer, Rukia could also hear the snarls and growls of wild animals attacking.

Once again, Rukia was forced into action when Orihime grabbed her hand and say quickly, "Come with me," before turning and pulling Rukia towards where the horses were tied.

Seeing a flash of movement, Rukia only had enough time to cry out, "Left!" before a large figure burst out of the tree line and rushed at Orihime and Rukia with a long blade held ready to strike. Next instant, an arrow protruded from his neck and stumbled a few more paces before dropping like a stone.

Even though the first attacker was no longer a threat, two more figures emerged from the darkness. Rukia didn't need to turn around in order to know that Tatsuki and Uryu were now completely occupied with other assailants.

Still clutching her hand, Orihime pulled Rukia forward so that she might be the girl's shield. Both men held knives and while one of them prepared to throw the other seemed to hold back a moment until the knife left his partner's hand before he rushed forward to finish them off.

Just as Rukia was about to yank Orihime backwards and charge the man throwing the knife, Rukia's blood froze as she heard a ferocious snarl. Next instant, a large, black shadow flew at the man and knocked him to the ground. The man never had time to cry out, only gurgle and flail a few times as the creature, which Rukia now realized was a wolf, sank its jaws into his throat. The dead man's companion was only frozen for a few seconds before he turned and prepared to strike the wolf.

To Rukia's utter amazement, Orihime let go of her hand in order to rush at the man, screaming out a desperate "NO!" She caught the man's knife hand in both of hers and did an amazing sort of twist and hit which caused the man to drop the knife with a cry of pain. He recovered quickly enough and backhanded Orihime across the face with his free hand and she gave her own cry of pain as she fell.

Faster than Rukia could process what she had just witnessed and what she should do now, the wolf once again seemed to fly through the air at the attacker. And once again, the wolf's powerful jaws latched onto the man's throat. Only this time, the attacker was ready and raised his knife high over the wolf's unprotected back. From the bushes, another even larger creature charged forward and bit down hard on the man's wrist. The knife fell and while Rukia was sure the man would probably have screamed if he was able, all that happened was that he gave a powerful gurgle and convulsion before going still.

Coming to her senses, Rukia realized that with both men dead, the next likely target would be Orihime. As she was about to spring forward to try to drag Orihime away from the wolf and the other creature, Rukia still couldn't identify what it was, she was struck by three hard, precise blows. Next instant, Rukia realized that she was completely paralyzed and could do nothing as she fell boneless to the ground. Another growl and rustling from the bushes was all the warning given before another bundle of fur flew through the air and made contact with Rukia's attacker.

Cracking her head against something hard, Rukia's last vision before complete blackness was of the wolf and other enormous animal turning in her direction.

* * *

As Rukia emerged from unconsciousness, she knew that something was wrong. Grogginess and a pounding skull, however, kept her from remembering what it was for the moment.

Letting out an anguished moan, Rukia vaguely heard the low, soothing voice of Chad say, "Easy now. Rest easy and the pain will go away in time."

She felt something damp being lifted from her face and while it was only a few moments before it was replaced, Rukia's head throbbed painfully as the light hit her closed eyes. It was quickly pacified though by the warmth and gentle fragrance from the cloth. It lulled her off into a gentle doze and when she came to her senses again, even though her head still hurt, most of the pain was gone.

As she awoke, Rukia tried to remember why she felt so uneasy and so reached up in order to rub her temples. It was a moment or two before Rukia realized that her hand had barely moved an inch from her side. Everything felt numb and leaden, which caused Rukia to start panicking.

Two large gentle hands gripped Rukia's shoulders and she heard Chad say firmly, "It's all right, Rukia. Everything's going to be all right."

Next she heard Captain Kurosaki say, "Renji, water," after which Rukia heard what she thought were Renji's footsteps jogging a short distance away before quickly returning.

The cloth was lifted from Rukia's face and she squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light. It wasn't as bad as it could have been since Chad's large frame was overshadowing her. She saw him reach out a hand and next thing she knew, Chad carefully lifted her enough to allow her to drink easily and slowly. The water tasted especially good to her dry, parched throat. As she finished swallowing the water, Rukia's eyes had adjusted to the light so that she was able to scan her surroundings and remember what was wrong.

As Chad pulled the cup away, Rukia's voice cracked as she said, "Orihime."

Trying to force her body into action without success, Rukia felt the panic well up again as she asked, "What happened? Where is everyone?"

This time Captain Kurosaki said calmly, "It's all right, Rukia. The attackers from last night are either dead or have run back to report to their master."

Rukia tried to think of what to say as the captain went on, "It seems that the attack came in two waves. First, a couple of archers were sent to try and catch us off guard and when that failed, the rest of the attackers tried to overwhelm us with their force and greater numbers."

"Us?" Rukia croaked incredulously, "What do you mean 'us'? There was no 'us' last night what with you and your brave comrades sleeping like logs!"

Rukia began to tremble as her emotions took control and she demanded, "What's the point of making promises if you're not going to keep them, huh?! I nearly died three times last night and it wasn't any one of you who helped me! Orihime never said she would protect me, but she did! And so did Uryu and Tatsuki! Where are they? Tell me where they are right now! Tell me! Tell me!"

Then, for the first time in her life, Rukia broke down and sobbed long, loud and hard. She had shed a tear or two before, but never more than that and certainly never in front of someone else. Events from the previous night had happened too quickly for Rukia to process all the different emotions correctly: the affection and loyalty towards Orihime after all she did, the fear from being attacked and nearly killed, the confusion over the captain not keeping his promise, the despair and angst from not knowing what had happened to Orihime and the others. All these thoughts and emotions roiled within her and then were gradually expelled as she cried.

Turning her red rimmed eyes towards the captain, Rukia pleaded, "Please tell me."

For a time, the captain seemed to be at war within himself before looking over at Chad who seemed to understand and gave the captain one slow nod. He then looked over at Renji, who let out a sigh and said, "It's fine, Captain."

When the captain looked back at Rukia, he took a moment to swallow before he said simply, "Orihime and the others are fine. To the best of my knowledge, none of them were hurt last night."

"Can I see for myself?" asked Rukia.

The captain took a deep breath and then said slowly, "In a way you can in just a moment."

Before Rukia could ask why not, Ichigo turned and said, "Renji, go fetch them please."

As the boy walked away, Ichigo looked back at Rukia and said, "There's one thing I'd like to confirm with you about last night, if that's all right."

At Rukia's slow nod, he asked, "In last night's skirmish, did any wild animals appear?"

"Yes," Rukia said slowly, "A big, black wolf came out first and killed a man who was about to throw a knife. Then, after Orihime protected the wolf, another huge…something, I don't know what it was, came out and bit another man's hand. And just before I hit my head, something else jumped out of the bushes, but I couldn't see what it was. Why?"

There were sounds of footsteps approaching as the captain said, "I'll explain in a moment," before turning around and saying, "Bring them around so Rukia can see."

A few moments later, Rukia was utterly bewildered as Renji led Ichigo's horse with the hawk settled comfortably on its perch and the two pack horses into view.

"What…" Rukia began vaguely before Ichigo cut in and said, "I want you to take a good look at them. Please."

Baffled, Rukia nevertheless did as she was bidden.

Ichigo's horse, Mugetsu, was noticeably taller and broader than the other two horses. Also, while Mugetsu was pitch black from nose to tail, the other two horses were a kind of cream color with black manes. One of the pack horses had a kind of shaggy, bristly mane with deep brown eyes while the other had a silky mane with…

"What…how…" Rukia asked as she noticed something and a vague, preposterous idea occurred to her and she said, "That's not possible."

"Unfortunately," Ichigo said, "yes it is. Tatsuki is the horse on the left while Uryu is the other on the right. The one with blue eyes."

"But then," asked Rukia in a small voice, "where is Orihime? She can't be Mugetsu, can she?"

As if in answer to her question, the hawk decided to swoop down and land on Ichigo's gloved hand.

"Rukia," Ichigo said slowly as he stroked the bird's feathers, "this is Orihime Kurosaki. My wife."

 **Author's Note:**

As promised, I will reveal my inspiration for this story now. The movie Ladyhawke from the 80's gave me the idea and like I've said to some, it's one of those movies that either you know it or you don't. It's not one of those really popular or really horrible movies from the 80's, so unless you've seen it before you probably haven't heard of it. So, after seeing it again a bit before Tanabata, I thought that with a little tweaking to the story and amount of characters, it would make a really good Ichihime Tanabata story.

My hope is to have this story finished long before summer ends, so I need to quit being lazy and procrastinating on each chapter! Get your sorry butt in gear, Jylener!

Anyway, what really helps with that is all the support that I've gotten from all of you! That really means a lot!

Oh, so now that we know who Orihime, Uryu and Tatsuki are during the day, who are Ichigo and the others? Or, more accurately, what are they? ;)

So, as usual, I hope you enjoyed this part!


	5. 4: Explanations and Flight

"So, what happened?" Rukia wanted to ask, but couldn't convince herself to say aloud. Without a doubt, Rukia knew that she never would have believed such a thing was possible yesterday. Today, however, Rukia was of a different mindset since such a preposterous idea explained almost everything she had heard, observed and considered strange.

Unlike Orihime, Ichigo was not able to read Rukia's thoughts and said instead, "As you have probably guessed by now, while my wife and her two companions are creatures by day, Chad, Renji and I are those wild animals you saw last night."

Nodding slowly, partially since she was absorbing the information and partially because she was still having difficulty moving, Rukia asked, "So, were you the black wolf? And what were Chad and Renji? I didn't recognize what they were."

Shrugging his shoulders, the captain said, "To be honest, I have no idea either. When the last rays of daylight disappear, all I see is a bright, golden light for an instant and then it's morning again. Only this time, all my clothes are in a saddle bag nearby."

This time understanding Rukia's perplexed expression, Ichigo explained, "We have a system worked out where all six of us pair off and share a saddlebag with our clothes inside. When one person shifts from animal to human, they dress themselves and then go collect the clothes of the other who has shifted in the reverse. Chad and Tatsuki share one, Renji and Chad another and then finally Orihime and me."

"I guess that's logical," said Rukia ponderously before asking, "but how are you able to…" she stopped talking as she tried to think of a way to politely finish her question.

"I doubt if any of us could explain with any accuracy how we manage to shift from animal to human within yards of the person we share a saddlebag with," replied Ichigo, once again seeming to understand what Rukia was struggling to ask, "The best explanation I can give is that those of us who are about to shift from animal to human have some sort of instinct that kicks in just then and we somehow know where to go."

"Guess that makes sense," replied Rukia before she said in a quieter tone, "I'm sorry for accusing you just now about breaking your promise."

Shaking his head emphatically, the captain said gently and yet with a slight catch, "You don't have to apologize. It was the only logical conclusion you could draw at the time."

Scratching the back of his head, he went on, "To be honest, I wasn't expecting for you to find out about us so quickly. Then again," Ichigo let out a long sigh and muttered mostly to himself, "only an idiot would have believed that it was possible to keep everything a secret."

From the bitterness in his tone, Rukia imagined that there was another meaning behind the captain's words, but she decided not to pursue the matter and instead said, "There's one other thing I don't quite understand."

At the men's quizzical looks, Rukia went on, "Last night, Orihime said that you told her about me. How is that possible?"

"Oh," replied Ichigo as his expression cleared, "if something really important happened during the day or night that we feel needs to be passed along to the others, Orihime or I will leave notes in the saddlebag."

"I see," said Rukia before she rephrased her earlier statement of, "I guess that's practical."

"Any more questions right now?" asked the captain with a small, wry smile, "Or have we satisfied your curiosity for the time being?"

Rukia bit her tongue just in time before snapping back disrespectfully to the captain. No reason to give offense where none was being offered. Also, if she was willing to dish it out, she had to be willing to take it in return.

"Yeah, I'm good for now," replied Rukia, "except for the fact that I can't really move."

Eyes darkening slightly, Ichigo said, "About that, it's only a temporary paralysis. My guess is that you should be able to move about on your own by tonight."

"Oh okay," was all Rukia said in response. While part of Rukia was telling her to be grateful that her situation wasn't any worse, she couldn't help the other part wondering exactly how things could get any worse. Fortunately for her, it wasn't one of those times when she was about to find out.

Standing up, Ichigo made eye contact with Chad and Renji as he said, "I don't want to push the horses too much today but we have to keep moving, so Chad and I will walk. Renji, you'll ride on Brazo Gigante with Rukia."

For just a split second, Rukia felt the urge to ask why the captain was giving the responsibility of keeping her safely on top of a huge horse to someone who wasn't much bigger than herself. Just before she opened her mouth, however, Rukia thought better of it.

First of all, even if she did have some 'sympathy points' in her favor due to her injuries from the previous night, Rukia doubted that the captain would take very kindly to having his directives questioned. Second, Renji would definitely take offense to the question and the two of them would get themselves in 'hot water' once again. And lastly, even though some of her instincts were rebelling against it, Rukia felt herself wanting to trust the men. Not necessarily Renji at the moment, but if something did happen, Rukia was completely positive that Chad and the captain would make sure she was safe.

The others quickly packed up the few remaining items (things they had used to treat Rukia and make her comfortable) into the saddlebags of Tatsuki and Uryu. The captain then took both their reigns in his left hand, grasped Mugetsu's reigns in his right and waited for the others.

While Chad walked over to pick up Rukia, her eyes widened as she saw Renji jog about twenty paces back and sprint forward. Just before he was about to collide with Brazo Gigante's hindquarters, Renji leaped into the air and landed in the horse's saddle. To Rukia's surprise, the horse merely shifted his feet slightly and turned his head to give his rider a rather wearied expression as if to say 'How many times have I told you not to leap onto my back?'

"Honestly Renji," asked the captain in an exasperated and yet slightly amused tone, "why do you insist on mounting in that manner on someone else's horse but not your own?"

Giving his captain a rather cheeky grin, Renji replied, "Well, that's because it's fun, but Brazo Gigante is the only horse that will let me do it. You're the only one who can control Mugetsu and Zabimaru is too playful. He'd think it was a game and trot away."

With a wry grin, Captain Kurosaki said, "I wouldn't be surprised if Brazo doesn't do that one of these days. Just step a bit to the side and let you fall flat on your face."

Patting the docile horse's neck, Renji said, "Yeah maybe, but I doubt it. I think he's used to it by now."

As the other two had been talking, Rukia had looked at Chad's face to see if he cared that another was treating his horse in such a manner. While she couldn't be absolutely sure with the long brown hair nearly obscuring the man's face, from the slight softening around the mouth Rukia imagined that both horse and owner didn't really mind.

When Chad lifted Rukia up and set her in front of Renji, Rukia felt a wave of panic crash over her and she gripped the man's sleeve with all her strength. Even though the grip was about as strong as wet paper, Chad noticed and reached over with his free hand to pat the girl's tiny hand.

"It's all right," he said in a low rumble, "Renji's got you and I'll be right beside you. You can relax."

While the events of the previous day repeated themselves in that Rukia allowed herself to trust the man, she could not, however, allow herself to relax and fall asleep like she had before. If for no other reason than Rukia knew she had a lot of things that she needed to think about.

First on the list was the fact that she had gotten herself involved with people who were under a spell. Not just any old spell, but a really powerful one by the sound of it. Sure, Rukia had seen magic before or heard from others who had used it, but usually those were spells that had a practical, everyday use. Spells that would allow you to light a fire when the wood is wet or it's raining outside. A spell to cast over your clothes to make them stay clean longer or fray less. The kind of magic anyone could use, but especially magic that was only used on inanimate objects. Using magic on anything living was considered taboo, mostly because it was nearly impossible. In order to cast a spell on another living being, certain requirements needed to be filled. No one knew what those requirements were, only that one would have to be really crazy or desperate to attempt such an act.

This revelation in and of itself gave Rukia immense insight into the kind of dire situation she had accidentally gotten herself mixed up in. Whatever Captain Kurosaki and the others had done and whoever they had done it to, it was serious enough for the pursuer to cast a spell strong enough to ensnare not just one but six people.

On the other hand, Rukia was extremely confused by the whole spell issue. While she didn't know for sure, it seemed only logical to assume that whoever had sent all those men to attack them last night and all the nights previously was the same person who had cast the spell in the first place. Yet why would the person go to all that trouble? From what Rukia knew, there were no mistakes in spell-casting, especially one as powerful as this. The person wanted Captain Kurosaki and the others to suffer, but the caster did not want to kill them and so had them live half the day as human and the other half as animal. And yet, why go to the trouble of casting the spell if they were then going to send mercenaries after the group to kill them? It didn't make any sense.

When her head began to throb slightly, Rukia set that matter aside and moved on to the next one which was to consider whether or not she should remain in their company after today. From what Captain Kurosaki had said, she should be able to move about on her own by nightfall. While she couldn't be absolutely sure, Rukia was fairly certain that the captain would give no argument if she told him that she wanted to leave his company on the morrow. Even though he had been pretty clear the previous day about most of the perils that she could expect if she joined up with them, the knowledge that there was someone out there who had cast a powerful spell over six people completely changed the amount of danger she was putting herself in. So, now that she was supplied with a better understanding of what was going on, Rukia could better consider her next move.

Again, Rukia didn't have to think long on this topic before she reached a decision to stay with them. Practically speaking, to leave the group now would mean almost certain death. The captain had mentioned that there were survivors who had gone back to report to their superior and Rukia had no doubt that her description had been passed along. In their eyes, she was a part of the group and would probably be killed on sight or captured and tortured for information. Whether she liked it or not, her fate and hope for survival was tied together with everyone else's.

And even with all that aside, Rukia didn't want to leave the group because that would mean leaving Orihime behind. In less than twelve hours, Orihime had become like a big sister or almost like a mother. Rukia had dealt with very few women in her lifetime and what little she did know about the members of her own sex, Rukia was positive on this point: Orihime was the only one of her kind. Without trying, Orihime brought out the best in people.

"You okay there?"

Being interrupted in the middle of some deep, reflective thinking, Rukia responded with, "Huh?"

"I asked if you were doing okay," repeated Renji.

"Yeah," answered Rukia, "I'm fine."

"Okay," was Renji's reply, "Just checking."

Neither felt the need to continue the conversation and so relapsed into silence.

This time around, Rukia allowed her thoughts to consider what her part in all of this was to be. If her thinking was correct, Captain Kurosaki was expecting her to find some hidden or unknown entrance into the Soul Society Army Headquarters. Then, Rukia imagined that she was going to have to let the others in somehow or other. Hopefully, they would arrive at the headquarters in enough time for her to be able to find an entrance and do some surveillance to allow them to come up with some sort of plan. While Rukia was fairly certain that she would be willing to risk her neck for these people, if there was anything she could do to have a chance at survival, it was worth a shot.

Next on her mental checklist was-

Once again, Rukia's musings were interrupted, but this time it was for a far more serious reason.

One moment, all was fairly quiet and the next Rukia thought she heard a twang not far off. It was quickly followed by a jerk and yelp of pain from Renji as an arrow nicked his arm. The boy's movement caused Rukia's limp body to shift slightly and start to slide off the saddle. Rukia felt her heart stop momentarily as her brain tried to force her body into action and yet could only manage to loosely wrap her fingers around the saddle horn. Next instant, Rukia felt Renji's arm wrap around her and pull her upright again.

The entire incident had lasted fewer than five seconds and Captain Kurosaki's response was to swing himself into Mugetsu's saddle and yell at the others, "Get going!" before spurring his horse in the direction the arrow had come from.

For his part, Chad deftly flicked the reigns over Brazo Gigante's head and nearly roared, "I'll be right behind you!" to which Renji's only response was to grip the reigns, quickly make sure he was securely supporting Rukia and then kicked the big horse into a dead run.

Compared to the previous evening, the terror Rukia experienced as she felt the horse surge over the ground was at least ten times worse. While she hadn't been of much help, Rukia had at least had control over her own body and actions. Now, the best she could do was hope and pray that Renji had a good hold over her limp and unresponsive body as he urged the horse to run and jump as fast as possible. If she were to fall from this height and at this speed, Rukia knew that even if she didn't die, serious injuries and possible mutilation lay in store for her.

To make matters worse, Rukia felt Renji turn in the saddle and then immediately pull the horse's bridle so that it made a sharp turn to the left. A few seconds later, he turned the horse back to the right. Rukia's heart sank as she saw an arrow fly by less than two feet from where they were.

Looking ahead, Rukia saw that they were about to emerge from the forest into a large, open plain. If Renji were to turn around and charge past their pursuers, it would be nothing less than a miracle if they actually survived. On the other hand, as soon as they emerged from the shelter of the trees, they were all but sitting ducks. Either way, this was likely the end so Rukia shut her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable.

Just before they were about to clear the tree line, Renji turned Brazo Gigante sharply to the left and two seconds later prompted him into a powerful leap. Once the horse's hooves struck earth again, Renji turned to the right again and then Rukia felt as if she were going to fall out of the saddle once again, only this time over the horse's head as they were heading down a treacherously steep incline. Rukia's heart stopped again as she heard a frightened shout of panic and a horse's pitiful whinny from behind. Opening her eyes, it wasn't long before she caught a glimpse of a horse and its rider tumbling helplessly down the hill. At the sight, part of her wanted to feel sympathy at such a horrible predicament, while the other part of her barely managed to control her anxiety that the same might happen to Brazo Gigante at any moment.

In contradiction to her fears, Chad's horse was sure-footed and so made it safely down the incline. There was no time to celebrate, though, as Renji urged the horse back to a gallop to try and leave whatever pursuers were left far behind.

After about two minutes, Renji blurted out abruptly, "Sorry about this," and proceeded to slow the horse's pace.

Before Rukia could ask what in the world the boy was thinking, she saw him drop the reigns and then wrap his arms around her. Next instant, Rukia's stomach flipped over as she felt herself fall from the saddle. While it wasn't much consolation at the moment, Rukia's fall was cushioned by Renji as he made sure to fall backwards and hit the ground with her on top of him.

Even though she had heard and felt the wind get knocked out of him, Renji quickly and yet carefully as he could rolled Rukia off of him and staggered to his feet. Hitting the horse's flank with a resounding smack, Renji prompted Brazo Gigante to keep running on without them. The boy then turned, gathered Rukia into his arms and sprinted towards a thick cluster of bushes.

As soon as they were hidden behind the foliage, Renji settled Rukia against him and whispered urgently, "Don't make a sound," even though it wasn't really necessary as she understood what he was doing.

Ten seconds passed before Rukia heard the sound of galloping horses. A group of three horsemen charged past in pursuit of their quarry. Even after they had passed by, Renji and Rukia remained silent and motionless for a long time afterwards.

Finally, Renji said in a tone barely above a whisper, "We need to try and find the others. It'll be dark soon."

Rukia nodded, but didn't feel the need to reply since she understood Renji's meaning. Once the sun fell and he shifted, Rukia would be left completely defenseless as she was still pretty immobile.

"How should I carry you?" asked Renji after a few seconds.

Experimentally flexing several muscles, Rukia replied, "I think you can carry me on your back."

Nodding, Renji maneuvered them about until Rukia was draped behind him. With her arms dangling, Rukia managed to clasp her hands together in front of Renji's chest. While her grip was still weak, Rukia felt a small sense of victory as she was starting to regain control of her body.

As they went along, Rukia couldn't help but be impressed at how quickly and yet almost completely noiselessly Renji moved through the woods. Whatever leaves or sticks he may have stepped on, barely made a sound. When they arrived at the ravine, Renji ran along the bottom for a while. Finally he turned and started climbing up and out at which time Rukia realized that he had found a spot that still required effort, but was not as steep of a climb.

Just before they reached the top, Renji froze and threw himself flat against the ground. A moment later, Rukia heard the sound of horse hooves walking along a short distance from where they were hidden.

Looking over at Renji, she saw him swallow twice, lick his lips and then made a strange sort of twittering sound. It took Rukia a moment or two to realize that he had made some sort of bird call, but she had no idea what kind of bird he was imitating or why he would do such a ridiculous thing. Next moment, however, Rukia had her answer as she heard the exact same call come from the direction in which the horses were probably located.

To Rukia's immense confusion, Renji let out a sigh and muttered to himself, "Thank goodness for that," before he picked her up again and pulled them both over the lip of the ravine.

As he emerged, Renji stated matter-of-factly, "They had archers, so I decided to try and fool them by making Brazo Gigante run on without us. It seems to have worked for the moment."

"That's all right," replied Chad, who was leading Uryu and Tatsuki again, "You're both safe."

Shifting his hold on Rukia slightly, Renji asked, "Where's the captain?" Chad's response was to shake his head and shrug his shoulders.

Next, Renji asked, "Do you want to fetch Brazo or shall I track him down?"

Reaching around to lift Rukia from Renji's back, Chad said simply, "You're faster."

Rukia saw Renji duck his head to hide the small flush of pleasure on his cheeks as he said matter-of-factly, "All right then, I'll go," then immediately turned and headed towards the ravine.

Looking down at Rukia, Chad asked gently, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," replied Rukia before asking, "Where's the captain?"

Chad made as if to look over his shoulder, but stopped himself and chose to give Rukia a small smile as he said, "Not sure, but if I know the captain, he'll be along eventually. He's tenacious and stubborn."

"Hmm," was all Rukia could think of to say in reply.

Chad gently laid Rukia against the base of a tree, quickly secured the horses' bridles and then settled himself next to her. They sat in silence that was comfortable and yet tense only because they were both on the alert for any kind of approaching sound. A rustling noise from the ravine made them both start and Chad's hand automatically closed over his sword hilt. Next moment, a chipmunk skittered across the forest floor and raced up a tree. Even though Chad and Rukia respectively felt their heartbeats slow to a more reasonable pace, they still remained on the alert.

About five minutes later, Rukia heard a strange sort of bird call. When she saw Chad relax his grip on his sword and cup his hands over his mouth in order to return the call, things clicked into place for Rukia. Recalling similar situations in the past day, Rukia realized that whenever the group was split up, they alerted the others to their approach through bird calls. She wanted to kick herself for being so dense and not realizing the fact sooner.

Chad had risen to his feet and walked a few paces around the tree in order to observe the captain's approach. Looking up at the tall man, Rukia was unpleasantly surprised and felt a sense of foreboding when Chad's posture and expression became extremely stiff. She wasn't left to wonder for long what had caused his change in attitude when she saw the captain come into view.

As far as she could tell, Mugetsu hadn't suffered any injuries, all though there were some rather nasty gashes cut into the blanket and saddle. Ichigo's hair was messier than usual with the strands covering his forehead and neck being completely slicked down by sweat. His clothes were torn in places and dusted liberally with dirt as if he had fallen from atop Mugetsu at some point.

All those details were minor ones in comparison to the fact that the captain seemed to be cradling his arm. Rukia felt her stomach flip over as she noticed an arrow that looked to be protruding from his arm. When she looked at the man's face, Rukia could see an expression of immense pain…but not the kind brought about by an arrow to the arm.

Feeling that same sense of foreboding, Rukia returned her gaze to where the arrow was and she felt her heart stop for an instant. From her perspective, the arrow seemed to be protruding from a bundle of feathers.

 **Author's Note:**

Can't really think of anything to say at this point, so I'll just let things be at that for now. As usual, I willing to hear any questions, comments, suggestions, criticisms or thoughts you may have on what has happened in this chapter. Also, just a little teaser, I'm planning on adding in two special and secret guests at the end of the next chapter. Any guesses as to who they may turn out to be? :)


	6. 5: Explanations and Tempers

"What happened?"

Chad vocalized the question Rukia herself was asking mentally. At first, Rukia wasn't entirely sure the captain had heard Chad's inquiry, but then he carefully placed Orihime's hawk form in Chad's hands so that he could swing himself out of the saddle. As she was passed over, Rukia heard the hawk give a weak, screeching cry to which Chad responded with soothing words and careful stroking of her feathers away from where the arrow protruded. For his part, when the captain dismounted his face grimaced in pain for less than a heartbeat before resuming his former expression of pain over seeing his wife weakly struggling in Chad's hands.

"She was hit trying to protect me after I was knocked off Mugetsu," answered Ichigo succinctly.

Chad looked over at his friend for a moment or two before he asked, "And you?"

"Doesn't matter," replied Ichigo in a rather terse tone before catching himself and saying, "Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that."

"Don't worry about it," said Chad. Rukia got the feeling that he wasn't really referring to the captain's apology. Ichigo must have thought the same thing as a look of fury quickly took over his features. However, just before he opened his mouth to lash out at his friend, Ichigo closed his eyes and massaged his eyelids with the tips of his fingers for a time.

Eventually, Ichigo managed to force his voice to work and said, "I can't, Chad. I just…can't."

"Captain-" Chad began before Ichigo interrupted, saying, "No Chad. Don't tell me it's not my fault. That this is all," he put special emphasis on the word, "not my fault."

Eyes flashing, the captain said in a heated whisper, "Ever since I met Orihime, I've brought her nothing but trouble. And she's borne every single blow without complaint, but I…I can't keep doing this to her. She deserves better."

Again, Chad waited for a few seconds before he said, "You're right."

As the captain's eyes widened slightly in confused surprise, Chad went on, "Orihime does deserve far better than this. She doesn't deserve a life where she is constantly on the run. She doesn't deserve a life where raising a family together with her husband is an impossible dream. And yet, she is willing and able to live this kind of life because it allows her to stay with you."

"Chad-" was all the captain was able to say before Chad cut him off, saying, "Don't forget that we're all in this together, Captain. That you're not alone in this fight."

The captain's eyes widened again before his head and shoulders sagged as he asked, "How could I be so stupid?"

Chad's head tilted slightly in a rather confused manner as the captain went on, "I keep forgetting that I'm not the only one with a wife to worry about from day to day."

Raising his eyes to his friend, Ichigo asked, "Forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive," was Chad's response as he carefully placed Orihime back in her husband's hands.

Any further dialogue was interrupted when a bird call sounded from the ravine. The captain responded in kind and it wasn't long before Renji appeared with Brazo Gigante.

"Captain, I just went…" Renji's voice trailed off as he noticed the tiny, feathered bundle resting in the captain's hands. As the boy's expression became blank in shock, it served to jolt the two men back to the situation at hand.

"Should we remove the arrow?" asked Chad.

Immediately, the captain shook his head emphatically and said in a strained yet calm tone, "She'd bleed out in no time. Also, while it seems to have missed her heart, I wouldn't be surprised if the tip is less than a hairsbreadth away from piercing it."

"So what're we gonna do?" asked Renji.

Ichigo's pained expression returned as he said in a slightly faltering tone, "I don't know."

"I should think the answer would be obvious."

Everyone flinched and turned their attention to where the unknown voice had come from. Rukia didn't recognize the man and wasn't sure whether or not to consider him an enemy and so turned her attention back to the men. They had all frozen in shock, but the captain was first to recover and took a few steps forward until he was standing between the man and those under his own protection.

"What are you doing here?" the captain asked in a tone which gave Rukia the feeling that he knew the stranger. Whether or not that was a good thing, Rukia couldn't tell since while the captain's stance was relaxed, his tone revealed that he was not pleased to see the man.

Crossing his arms in a relaxed and rather carefree way, the man answered, "Well, I sent Jinta and Ururu out to gather some kindling some time ago, but they came running back to the house declaring that there was something of a skirmish between a group of soldiers and a small band of travelers. So, I decided to come out and investigate."

"Wait," asked the captain rather incredulously, "you live out here?"

"And why should that come as a surprise to you, Ichigo?" the man replied in a way that seemed harmless and yet had a slight bite, "Not long after you disappeared, I got the distinct impression that I should do the same."

"I see," said Ichigo blandly.

"Yes," said the man in a tone that seemed to imply that he wanted to press the matter further, but was willing to let the matter drop for now, "well, you and your friends look about done in, so you're welcome to come back to my humble abode for the night."

The captain looked about ready to refuse when Chad laid a hand on his shoulder and said, "No, Ichigo. We should accept. She'll die without help."

After a few moments of silence, the man said slowly, "I'm assuming the 'she' you're referring to Chad is the poor bird in Ichigo's hands. And I'm sure if nothing else, Tessai will be able to make the poor creature comfortable before it slips away."

Eyes flashing dangerously, Captain Kurosaki all but growled, "No, Tessai will save her. You owe me that much."

Frowning, the man was about to say something in retort when Chad stepped between them and said in a pacifying tone, "I'm sorry Mr. Urahara, but we will explain everything once you take us to your home. It's not safe out here."

Turning his gaze on Chad, Urahara nodded once and said, "All right then. Follow me, please."

Scooping up Rukia in his arms, Chad gave Renji a significant look and nod in the direction of the horses. Taking the hint, Renji took the reins and led all the horses while Ichigo and Chad carefully carried their precious burdens. The entire group walked in silence so that even though they were moving swiftly, there was a definite heaviness hanging in the air.

Urahara broke the silence when he paused, pointed and said simply, "There. That's it."

Rukia's eyes looked where his finger was indicating and saw what looked like the end of the ravine. Just as Rukia was about to glance over at Urahara and ascertain whether or not the man was entirely sane, a woman seemed to emerge from the walls of the ravine causing Rukia's mouth to pop open slightly in surprise. It was a moment or two later that Rukia realized that the house had been cleverly built into the ravine so that only those who knew what to look for would notice it.

The woman who had come out to greet them was dark-skinned with long, dark hair. It may have been Rukia's imagination, but she thought that the woman was both relieved and slightly suspicious of their arrival.

In a tone that was polite and yet gave away nothing, the woman said, "It's been a while, Ichigo."

The captain responded by giving her a curt nod while Urahara said, "I'm afraid my dear that we don't have much time for pleasantries at the moment. Tessai is needed to tend to this poor creature," he gestured to Orihime's weakly struggling hawk body, "and I think it would be a good idea to bring in some refreshments for our guests as soon as possible."

The woman looked at Urahara for a long two seconds before walking into the house and calling out, "Tessai! Bring your medical supplies to the front room! Jinta! Ururu! Meet me in the kitchen!"

Urahara turned and addressed Renji saying, "If you lead the horses to the left of the front door, go about twenty paces and you should find our stable door. If you can't find it, tie off your horses and come get one of us and we'll help you."

Renji nodded once in acknowledgement and led the horses off to the left while the Ichigo and Chad followed Urahara into the house. The late afternoon sun was shining, but as they had been in the shadow of the ravine for quite some time, Rukia's eyes needed a few moments to adjust to the light inside. She had a few moments to take in her surroundings while Chad stood still and waited to be told where to go.

The door to the house was wooden, but from the outside had been made invisible by a clever arrangement of leaves, dirt and vegetation so that it blended in with the rest of the ravine wall. Behind the door, what had once been a decent sized cave had now been converted into a relatively comfortable home. Most all the furniture and furnishings inside were practical and useful. There was but one tapestry hanging on the wall and while much care had been taken in the crafting of it, Rukia could tell even with her untrained eye that the person making it was not skilled. However, even in its rather bare, undecorated state, the place felt lived in. Like a home.

A moment later, Rukia saw a rather tall, burly man emerge from what was probably an adjacent room to the one Rukia was looking at currently. He was carrying a leather case in one hand, so Rukia assumed that the man was Tessai. Looking him up and down, Rukia couldn't help feeling that while this man looked very intimidating with his large frame and blank expression, he was probably going to act a lot like Chad.

While Tessai set his case down on a table and Ichigo stepped around the others to take Orihime over to him, Urahara turned to Chad and said with a small smile, "Why don't you two have a seat over there?"

Chad nodded once and sat down on the cushioned chair that had been offered. He took a moment to settle Rukia on his lap before looking down and asking, "How are you feeling?"

Taking a moment to check, Rukia answered, "Getting better."

Urahara looked as though he was about to ask something when he turned to where Tessai and the captain were conversing together at the table.

"I'm not sure I can help your little friend, Ichigo," Tessai said, "It's a miracle the arrow missed the poor thing's heart."

"I'm well aware of the fact of how close the arrow came to killing her," replied the captain in a rather tense tone, "but she can't die. I won't let her die."

Raking a hand through his hair, Ichigo took a long, shaky breath before he exhaled and said, "The hawk is Orihime."

"What did you say?"

Everyone's gaze turned to see the woman from earlier standing in the doorway. Her shocked expression was quickly morphing into one that was torn between disbelief and fury.

"Yoruichi," said Urahara in a surprisingly calm tone, "my dear, let's hear him out first."

The captain seemed to struggle with himself for a few moments before he looked at Chad. Taking the hint, Chad took over explaining.

"A week before we disappeared, the king validated Tsukishima's claim to Orihime's hand in marriage as well as control over all her land and belongings," and while Rukia was extremely confused over this revelation, Urahara merely nodded and waited for Chad to continue.

"So, Ichigo and Orihime made plans to elope," Chad said before he was interrupted by Yoruichi who said rather irritably, "Yes, yes we know all this, but how does that explain how Orihime is a hawk now?"

Eyes flashing dangerously, Ichigo said in a low, rather dangerous tone, "Tsukishima found out about our plans. He knew exactly where we were going to be and when we were going to be there."

"What?!" asked Urahara rather incredulously.

"We somehow managed to get all the way through the ceremony," said the captain in a biting and bitter tone, "before Tsukishima came charging in with his squadron."

The captain let out a sarcastic, mirthless laugh as he said, "I'll never forget the look on his face when he realized he'd come too late," and his eyes flashed again as he glared at Urahara, saying, "I'll also never forget the murderous look he had as he flung his spear at Orihime."

Cutting in quickly before anyone could say anything else, Chad said, "Riruka was also with Tsukishima."

This obviously meant something to Urahara as his mouth opened slowly in surprise and he said in an understanding tone, "Oh, I see how it is. It's all starting to make sense now."

"Well then," said the captain tersely, "I'm so glad that you're starting to see things so clearly now after all this time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Yoruichi and Rukia could feel the heated tempers warming up the room to an uncomfortable level.

Trying once again to diffuse the situation, Chad said as calmly as possible, "We all thought the plans would never have a chance of being discovered because nothing was ever written down. Messages were passed back and forth verbally."

"Once again," Yoruichi said in a clipped tone, "we are all aware of this fact. Jinta was usually the courier."

"My dear," said Urahara steadily, "if I'm not much mistaken, that is exactly what Ichigo and Chad are trying to tell us."

Chad was once again quick to jump in before any more shots could be fired, saying, "None of us believe for a moment that Jinta would do such a thing intentionally and we can't even say for sure that it was Jinta who tipped Tsukishima off."

Making his own smooth and soothing interjection, Urahara said, "We probably will never know how it all happened and knowing the 'how' will not help us figure out what to do now."

Looking at Chad, Urahara asked, "If Orihime is a hawk, where are Uryu and Tatsuki? I am assuming that they are still alive and with you."

"In the stable," was all Chad said to which Urahara looked momentarily confused before his expression cleared and he said again, "I see how it is."

Speaking up for the first time in a while, Tessai said, "I'm sorry to say this, but knowing this is poor bird is Lady Inoue does not change the fact that removing the arrow will probably kill her. Her body is too small."

"She won't be that way for much longer," said Chad, "Tonight, she'll be herself again while Ichigo, Renji and I will change into animal forms."

Rukia barely heard Urahara mutter to himself, "That was exceptionally cruel of Riruka to do," before he said in a normal tone, "Good thing then that it's almost nightfall. The wound is sure to become infected the longer that arrow is in her."

Further conversation was halted for the moment by the combined entrance of Renji and two teens who Rukia guessed were about the same age entered the room. The boy whom Rukia guessed was Jinta was carrying a tray of cups and a pitcher while the girl Ururu held two plates heaped with food.

"Right over there," said Yoruichi calmly while indicating the low table near to where Chad and Rukia were sitting, then addressed Renji, saying, "If you'd like to wash up a bit, there's a basin and pitcher just off to your right."

She then stepped forward to where Jinta and Ururu had set down the food and began to serve everyone. When she came over to where Chad was sitting, Yoruichi seemed to notice Rukia for the first time and looked at her rather quizzically, so Rukia introduced herself quickly, saying, "I'm Rukia. I only met Captain Kurosaki and the others yesterday."

As Yoruichi was opening her mouth to reply, Urahara said, "Ichigo, Chad, why don't you bring your plates into the kitchen and we'll start discussing what our next move will be? Yoruichi, Tessai, if you would come as well?"

The adults wordlessly made their way out of the room. Even though the captain was carrying his plate of food like Urahara had bidden, Rukia knew that he would not be eating a single bite. As physically, emotionally and mentally drained as she imagined the captain was at this point, Rukia also imagined that any food that made it past his lips would have to be forcibly chewed and swallowed and even then, it would weigh heavily on him. He was carrying enough weight as it was.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Renji sat down in a chair across from her and asked, "You gonna eat or what?"

Her gaze snapped over to stare in wide-eyed incredulity at Renji as she hissed, "How can you think about food at a time like this?"

Seeming to understand the true motivation behind Rukia's question, Renji shrugged and said nonchalantly, "Not like we can do anything else for the time being. If you don't wanna eat and keep up your strength, it's no skin off my nose."

While she would never have verbalized her thoughts, Rukia knew that he was right. She also felt a kind of grudging respect for Renji as he hadn't taken the opportunity to snap back at her just then.

Rukia's attention was once again distracted when Jinta stood within a few paces of where Renji was sitting. When she looked at his face, Rukia was surprised and confused to see Jinta glaring daggers at Renji, who seemed to be completely pre-occupied with eating.

Ururu seemed to sense trouble brewing as well and tried to lay a calming hand on Jinta's arm as she said, "Don't Jinta," who responded by yanking his arm out of Ururu's grasp and retorting with, "Quit mothering me, Ururu!"

Not at all fazed or deterred, Ururu pleaded, "They're our guests, Jinta," but Jinta only ignored her and addressed Renji, saying, "Hey."

When Renji merely continued eating, Jinta's face flushed angrily as he said a little louder, "Hey!" but when it still didn't work, Jinta shoved Renji's shoulder hard. As the plate of food fell out of his hands, Renji managed to grab it before it smashed to pieces on the floor.

Jumping to his feet, Rukia was sure that Renji only just managed to stop himself from shouting at Jinta that he was being an idiot. Instead, Renji visibly and forcefully bit the inside of his cheek and sat back down, but not before setting his plate down on the table in front of him.

Seeing that Jinta was about to do a repeat performance, Rukia's anger flared as she sat forward and said in a contemptuous tone, "Leave him alone."

Jinta's gaze locked with Rukia's as he retorted with, "No one asked you to butt in, shrimp. Monkey-brains here and I have an old score to settle."

"Come off it, Jinta," cut in Renji as he kept his gaze glued to the floor and his hands clenched in front of him, "I'm not going to fight you over something so stupid."

His whole frame shaking in rage, Jinta growled, "Stupid? You're saying that my favorite sparring sword getting broken is stupid? I worked on that thing for weeks!"

"I'm saying it's stupid," Renji retorted, "because it broke while we were practicing."

"You broke it on purpose!"

Giving Jinta an incredulous look, Renji asked, "Really? It snapped after you landed on it."

"Yeah," shot back Jinta, "but that was only because you made me lose my balance! On purpose!"

"I'll admit that I did that," replied Renji, "because that move is supposed to make your opponent lose their balance."

Trying once again, Ururu reached out for Jinta's arm as she said, "Jinta, please. Don't do this."

"I told you," Jinta shot back irritably, "quit being my mother!"

This time, when he wrenched his arm out of Ururu's grasp, the girl lost her balance and only just managed to catch herself before her head smacked into the table.

Reacting immediately, Rukia pulled herself forward and all but spat at Jinta, "Knock it off, you bully!"

Jinta's shocked expression quickly reverted back to one of anger as he stepped towards Rukia, saying, "I told you to keep out of this, shrimp!"

Leaping to his feet and grabbing Jinta by the shoulders, Renji pulled him back and said, "Leave her alone!"

Yanking himself free, Jinta turned and gave Renji a hard push. Stumbling backwards, Renji lost his balance and crashed into the table Orihime and Tessai's medical supplies were on. Seeing the table tipping over, Rukia's body somehow managed to react quickly enough to launch herself across the room in enough time to catch the tiny, wounded body before it collided with the floor. The hawk let out a weak yet heart-rending cry of pain.

The teens' shocked silence was quickly broken by the sound of running footsteps from the kitchen. Looking up, Rukia saw that the captain arrive first in the doorway. It took all of a split second for his eyes to sweep the room and access the situation. His gaze and expression when he took in the sight of Rukia sprawled on the floor and cradling his wife's frail body in her hands became more dangerous and foreboding than anything Rukia had ever seen before.

Coming up behind his friend, Chad gripped the captain's shoulders and said hastily, "Wait, Ichigo."

Rukia could almost feel the amount of willpower both Ichigo and Chad were exerting to keep the captain's temper in check. It was the second time today his wife had nearly been killed, accident or not. If anything else happened, Rukia doubted the captain would be able to control himself any longer.

Stepping around the other two men, Urahara said firmly yet calmly, "Go to your room, Jinta," and when Jinta's expression became rebellious, Urahara added more steel to his tone as he said simply, "Now."

Despite the fact that Jinta was once again shaking his suppressed fury, this time he did as he was told and stalked out of the room.

"You all right?"

Rukia looked over to see that Renji was looking at her with what appeared to be a concerned expression. Her only reply was to nod once before looking back down at Orihime to make sure she was all right. A few seconds later, a large pair of hands belonging to Tessai entered Rukia's view as he reached out to take Orihime from her. Carefully as she could, Rukia placed the small body into his outstretched hands just before the tears started to fall. She hadn't even realized her vision was getting blurry.

As she felt the tears of exhaustion and relief falling, Rukia's body tensed slightly when she felt herself being lifted. Looking up, Rukia saw that Yoruichi was the one carrying her.

"I'm putting this one to bed," Yoruichi stated matter-of-factly, "and if the rest of you have any sense, you'll do the same."

Then, without another word, Yoruichi turned on her heel and left the room.

 **Author's Note:**

Yet another reason why I think Ichigo needs Orihime in his life. He starts going Bananas Foster Crazy when Orihime's not there to help keep him calm. I seriously didn't have any of these arguments or situations planned out. They just started happening and I let them because, to me, in an angsty sort of way it made sense. Right now Ichigo's torn between blaming himself and blaming other people for what's happening in general, but mostly for the fact that Orihime is having to go through this. He's exhausted, stressed and becoming more and more moody and so therefore easier to upset and 'set off'.

I really and truly hope that 1) things are starting to piece together even if I haven't given all details just yet 2) that I mostly kept characters and situations realistic/in character and 3) even if I didn't quite achieve #2, that you will be willing to suspend a bit of disbelief because at this point I honestly can't see how it could have turned out any differently. However, if you have any ideas/comments/critiques as to that, I am more than willing to listen.

Next chapter hopefully won't be quite so tense...but I make no promises.


	7. 6: Healing and Discovery

Rukia didn't feel the compulsion or need to argue with Yoruichi when the woman had carried her into a room and laid her down on a soft bed. Unlike the previous evening with the meat and hairbrush, however, Rukia didn't have the heart or energy to fully enjoy the luxury of sleeping on a real bed for the first time.

After Yoruichi laid Rukia down, she sat down on the edge of the bed and pushed Rukia's hair back. The woman's soft, warm hand remained there for several seconds before she lowered it to the side of Rukia's face. Yoruichi's thumb gently scraped along the underside of Rukia's eyes and the proceeded across her cheek, wiping away the tear tracks. When Yoruichi spoke, it was not in the gentle, sweet, soothing tone Orihime had used with Rukia, but it still carried hints of a mothering nature.

"You all right?" Yoruichi asked as she gave Rukia a searching look, "Chad said you haven't been able to move much all day."

Sniffing once and clearing her throat, Rukia replied, "I'm fine."

Holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers as best she could, Rukia said, "See?"

Yoruichi nodded once in acknowledgement before giving Rukia another long, searching look. While it was the same kind of look that Orihime had given her the night previously, Rukia couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Unlike Orihime, Rukia had no idea what was going on in Yoruichi's head and what sort of impression the woman had of her.

After a seeming eternity, Yoruichi rose to her feet, looked down at Rukia and said, "I'll be just down the hall," before leaving the room and carefully shutting the door behind her.

Now that she was alone, Rukia realized that her eyes were sore and her head was aching. Even though she didn't think she would be able to sleep at all, Rukia nevertheless closed her eyes. Contrary to her theory, however, moments later Rukia drifted off. While she wouldn't remember anything when she awoke, Rukia did not have pleasant dreams.

Two hours later, as suddenly as she had fallen asleep, Rukia's eyes popped open. She didn't feel the least bit drowsy, but neither did she feel refreshed or rested. Much more slowly, Rukia raised herself up into a sitting position, stretching out muscles and joints that she had been unable to use since the previous night. Irritating and frustrating as the ordeal was, Rukia couldn't help but feel a miniscule amount of pride in herself when she managed to finally rise to her feet and ever so slowly make her way to the door.

Just as her hand touched the knob, a loud knock rattled the door on its hinges seriously startling her. Instinctively, Rukia yelped and backed away from the door, causing her to trip over her leaden feet and fall hard on her backside. In an instant, the door flew open to reveal Jinta standing there. His mouth was gaping slightly and his eyes had a vacant, shocked look in them, but Rukia was fairly certain that there was a good deal of panic as well.

Before either could say or do anything, Rukia heard quick footsteps coming towards them. A few seconds later, Renji and Ururu stood just behind Jinta.

Eyes narrowing, Renji demanded, "What's going on? What happened?"

Seeing that Jinta was about to go into defiant defensive mode that would most definitely make the situation impossibly worse, Rukia hastily said, "I was walking to the door, then my legs gave out and I fell."

When Renji and Jinta kept staring the other down, Rukia said in a meaningful tone, "I'm fine."

After a few more tense seconds, Renji said, "Excuse me."

"Wha-" was all Jinta managed to get out before Renji squeezed past him and knelt next to Rukia.

"So…Rukia…" said Renji slowly before he scratched the side of his neck and acted as though he had forgotten how to talk to her.

Fortunately, Rukia was able to guess that he was having a hard time coming up with a good way to ask her if she simply wanted him to help her to her feet, help her to her feet and support her as she walked, just pick her up and carry her into the other room or if she just wanted to be left alone. While her pride immediately voted for the first and last choices, Rukia's practical and impatient side won. Once her decision was made, however, that wasn't the end of it. Now, Rukia had to communicate her choice to Renji and so she was the one reduced to blushing, ducking her head in embarrassment and being at a loss for words.

Almost inaudibly, Rukia mumbled, "I'd…appreciate your help…please…"

When Renji wrapped one arm around her waist and the other under her knees, Rukia kept her eyes rigidly focused on her hands. Sure, he had carried her just that afternoon, but this was different. Her heart was racing but she wasn't sure if that was from embarrassment, excitement, irritation (not at Renji, but at her body for failing her so miserably) or a sickening combination of the three.

After Renji had lifted her, he waited for a moment to allow Jinta and Ururu time to step out of the way before he exited. As they made their way down the hall, Rukia heard Ururu say Jinta's name very softly. This time, instead of exploding at the girl, Jinta's lack of response was to say nothing, so Rukia imagined it was probably because he couldn't really explain what had happened.

Somehow sensing that Renji was probably about to ask her a similar question, Rukia looked up at him and said with conviction, "I didn't lie when I said I fell on my own. I was walking to the door and didn't notice someone coming down the hall, so when Jinta knocked it startled me."

Couple moments of silence and then Renji said, "I believe you," just before they emerged into the front room.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Rukia noticed that it was nearly sunset. Her gaze was focused, however, on the table that had been turned right-side up and which had been made into a kind of bed. Seeing Orihime's small body covered with a much too large blanket and propped up by a pillow almost made Rukia want to laugh. Almost and yet not even a little bit.

As Renji noiselessly made his way over to the couch to set Rukia down, she heard Tessai say to the captain, "I promise I will do what I can for her, as long as she...well, survives."

"What do you mean?"

When everyone turned to look at her, it took Rukia a few moments to realize the words had come out of her mouth. For a split second, she wasn't sure if she should apologize or not, when her gaze was once again drawn to the table.

Looking back up at Tessai, Rukia asked, "What do you mean 'as long as she survives'?"

"What he means, little one…" began Urahara but quickly raised his hands defensively when Rukia gave him a furious glare, "I do beg your pardon, miss. I address you as such simply because I do not know your name."

"I'm Rukia," said Rukia with a slightly less hostile expression to which Urahara responded by lowering his head and saying politely, "A pleasure, Miss Rukia."

Deciding to tell him to skip the 'miss' later, Rukia repeated, "So, what does he mean?"

"My friend Tessai," replied Urahara, "is alluding to the fact that because the arrow is so close to Lady Orihime's heart in this state, it is entirely possible that when she transforms, her heart or lungs would be punctured in the process."

"Oh," was all Rukia could think of to say in response. As much as the thought turned her stomach, it was entirely possible.

Looking up at the captain, Rukia saw that he was much more composed than he had been earlier. He still looked like he was exhausted from carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but the wild, desperate expression had left his eyes. Whatever happened, he would maintain strict control over his emotions and actions.

When Tessai looked about ready to address him again, the captain said, "I understand, Tessai. Don't worry about me."

Turning to Chad, Ichigo asked, "What about the others?"

"They're each in their own stall," answered Chad, "with their clothes in plain sight."

"Good, good," said the captain before he reached up to massage the bridge of his nose and he asked, "And the letter?"

At this, Urahara cut in and said smoothly, "Actually, I think it would be best if someone verbally explained to Tatsuki and Uryu the facts of the matter."

"All right," replied the captain with an almost imperceptible sigh, "Whatever you think, Urahara."

Reaching out to grasp his friend's shoulder, Chad asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? It's almost time."

Looking over at Chad, the captain answered in a tone that was flat and yet seemed to be struggling to remain in control of rising emotions, "I need to know, Chad. Whatever happens…I need to see it for myself."

Chad returned the captain's gaze a little while longer before looking over at Renji and saying, "Let's head out."

Without thinking, Rukia snatched Renji's hand as he made to leave. Even though she herself didn't quite know why she did it, Chad seemed to understand.

"We're going to stay in the barn tonight," Chad explained, "We won't be in the way and we won't be wandering around and possibly drawing attention to ourselves."

"Oh," said Rukia as she quickly dropped Renji's hand, "that's fine. It's not like I was worried or anything."

Renji hesitated for a moment before he said simply, "See you in the morning."

Glancing up at him for a brief moment before looking down at her lap, Rukia said as breezily as she could, "Yeah, sure. Goodnight."

Just before Renji's figure disappeared completely through the doorway, Rukia stole one last look at him out of the corner of her eye. Then she started to mentally scold herself. She was being ridiculous. Renji was not the first boy she'd dealt with who was around her own age. Why did she have to go feeling and thinking like he was someone special?

After Renji and Chad left, the few minutes left before the sun completely set seemed to stretch on into eternity. It seemed as though a petrification spell had been cast on everyone in the room, the only movement in the room coming from Orihime as she twitched and shuddered every so often.

When the time finally came, Rukia almost didn't realize it was happening. Ever so gradually, a golden glow began emanating from Orihime. As the glow expanded to create a kind of dome around her, Rukia's eyes widened as she saw Orihime's hawk form lengthen and become more humanoid underneath the blanket. At the same time, the feathers fell away from her face to reveal the facial features Rukia had studied so carefully the night before. Just as gradually as it had appeared, the golden glow faded away, showing Orihime to once again be herself.

As a whole, the occupants of the room held their breath as they waited and hoped against hope. One heartbeat. Two. Three. Then Orihime's eyelids slowly opened.

"Orihime."

The word was barely audible, but Orihime's eyes immediately sought out the owner of the voice. As soon as her gaze locked with her husband's, Orihime's eyes began to shimmer and Rukia was sure she saw her lips forming his name.

The captain stood frozen for another instant before his arm seemed to voluntarily raise and stretch out towards his wife. Rukia's skin tingled with the sense of relief and longing that seemed to emanate from the captain. A slight movement from under the blankets was enough evidence to show that Orihime was weakly trying to reach out for him as well. Then, that same golden glow engulfed him. A few heartbeats later, the huge, black wolf had replaced the captain.

No one moved for the longest time. The sensations and emotions still seemed to vibrate through the air and were made especially powerful because they had not been fully resolved.

Tears slipping from her eyes, Orihime managed to extract her hand from under the blanket. Immediately, the wolf padded forward and gave her fingers a few licks. Giving her transformed husband a weak, sad smile, Orihime gently and lovingly stroked his face.

The spell cast over everyone was finally broken when Yoruichi said tersely, "Tessai, now would be a good time to get started."

"Oh, yes," replied Tessai as he passed a hand under his eyes, "Yes, of course."

"Yoruichi," Orihime asked weakly, "what…"

Yoruichi's voice softened slightly as she carefully took Orihime's limp hand and tucked it under the blanket and said, "You were hurt, so Ichigo brought you here so we could hide and help you."

"The others…"

"Are just fine," Yoruichi interjected smoothly, "You're the only one Tessai needs to work on, so don't worry."

"What about Rukia?"

Rukia's breath caught in her throat. The woman was hanging on to life by the thinnest thread imaginable and yet her first thoughts were of everyone else's well-being. If Orihime died…

No, Rukia wouldn't allow herself to think that way. Orihime would live. She had to live.

Rising to her feet, Rukia took a few steps forward and said, "I'm fine."

A smile slowly stretched across Orihime's face as she swept her gaze over Rukia and said, "That's good," and she repeated in a whisper as her eyelids closed, "That's good."

Stepping forward, Urahara and said in a hushed tone to Yoruichi, "My dear, would you come with me to the barn? Our friends have likely had enough time to get themselves ready."

Looking at where the wolf was standing and staring steadfastly up at Orihime, Yoruichi asked, "What about him? Shouldn't we put him out in the barn with the others?"

Seeming to understand what Yoruichi had just said, the wolf's lips curled back ever so slightly to reveal just the tips of his teeth as he turned his head to look at her. There was also a nearly imperceptible growl rumbling from deep within his chest.

Before anyone could say or do anything, Orihime's hand once again reached out to stroke the wolf's face. A lump formed in Rukia's throat as she realized that Orihime's eyes were still closed. That somehow in her unconscious state, Orihime had known and reacted to what was happening. The wolf's response was to refocus his attention on the one he was most concerned about. Despite the fact that Ichigo Kurosaki was not cognizant of what he was doing at the moment, it was quite apparent that no matter what form he took, there was no way he was going to abandon his wife.

Laying a hand on his own wife's shoulders, Urahara said, "Let's go," to which Yoruichi's response was to follow him out of the room.

For a time, the only person who moved was Tessai as he readied his equipment and supplies. When Rukia's legs began to quiver with exertion from standing and holding herself erect, her mind blanked for a moment on what she should do. Just as her legs were about to collapse beneath her, however, a chair was set down right behind her. Without thinking, Rukia lowered herself onto it before turning her head to see Jinta stepping away.

"Thanks," said Rukia simply to which Jinta's only response was to give a sort of grunt and slight nod of his head before his gaze drifted over to the injured woman. Even though his expression remained fairly neutral and blank, Jinta's eyes showed that he was rather shaken and disturbed.

The sound of approaching footsteps startled everyone except Tessai and Orihime. A few seconds later, Tatsuki fairly flew around the corner then stood stock still as she took in the tableau in front of her, brown eyes glinting and flashing in the light. In what seemed to be an effort to control herself, Tatsuki bit her lip and closed her eyes as Uryu, Urahara and Yoruichi entered the room.

Stepping around Tatsuki, Uryu approached Tessai and asked in a clipped tone, "What can I do?"

Handing him a couple of towels, Tessai explained quickly, "I'm almost done sterilizing everything, so you can hold these against the wound when I extract the arrow. However," here he dipped a clean rag in a bowl of liquid and said, "we need to soften up the skin first, so wrap this around the arrow and gently hold it against her skin."

"Will she live?"

Tatsuki's question, while seemingly harmless, sent chills down Rukia's spine. Most likely because of the icy tone she had used.

Raising his eyes to meet Tatsuki's gaze for a few moments, Tessai said calmly, "I promised Captain Kurosaki that I would do what I could for her," before returning his attention to his work.

Even after the arrow was finally extracted and Tessai almost sighed in relief as he stated that Orihime would make a full recovery in time, it wasn't until her eyes opened almost an hour later that everyone in the room began to really breathe again.

* * *

The commander stood with his hands pressed flat against the map that was lying on the table as his gaze seemed to look through the paper in an effort to find what he was searching for. Or more specifically, who he was searching for.

The flap of his tent was lifted noiselessly and two figures entered simultaneously. They stood stock still and waited for the commander to acknowledge them before giving their report. Even though they were allowed to enter his tent without permission at any given time unlike the others in their troop, they knew better than to speak before they were acknowledged.

With his gaze still scanning the map, the commander reached out a hand to grasp a mug and raise it to his lips as he asked, "What did you find?"

The shorter of the two soldiers bowed their head and answered officiously, "Sir, Captain Kurosaki escaped the platoon of soldiers sent after him. In the skirmish, he was nearly brought down by an arrow, but a hawk was struck instead."

As he lowered the mug, the commander's gaze and upper body lifted as he asked, "A hawk? Did you say a hawk?"

"Yes sir," replied the shorter soldier, "A hawk swooped down and was severely wounded as a result."

"And the captain's reaction?" asked the commander as he walked slowly around the table, "What did he do?"

"Sir," answered the same soldier, "Captain Kurosaki somehow managed to fight off the soldiers long enough to retrieve the bird before riding off and escaping."

"And?" asked the commander.

This time, the second soldier answered, saying, "The captain managed to lose those stupid bumpkins."

"Did he now?" asked the commander in a calm tone, "Is that all you have to report to me? That you spotted him and then lost him again?"

"No sir," said the second soldier with a barely concealed smile, "I ain't a stupid bumpkin."

"Good," replied the commander with a small grin of his own, "That's very good to hear."

 **Author's Note:**

All I can say at this point is sorry this took so long to post. Can't guarantee when the next one will come out, but hopefully it will be soon.


	8. 7: Healing and History

After Tessai had completed his operation, he and Uryu set about cleaning up after themselves. Despite the fact that everyone could clearly see that Orihime's chest was still rising and falling steadily after the procedure, there was still a bit of apprehension hanging in the air. Tatsuki especially seemed reluctant to relax and instead leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest, wearing a scowl that reminded Rukia starkly of Captain Kurosaki.

Rukia's thoughts were interrupted abruptly by Uryu, who asked in a clinical tone, "So, how are you feeling Rukia?"

In the few moments it took Rukia to process the man's inquiry, Tatsuki's head whipped around so that she could look over at Rukia with a wide-eyed expression of complete astonishment as she said almost to herself, "That's right...I completely forgot about you, Rukia."

"It's fine," Rukia replied hastily, "I'm fine too, so don't worry about it."

The corners of Tatsuki's mouth lifted slightly while her face and eyes softened just a touch as she said, "You're holding up well considering you just happened to stumble into this..."

With a bit of a sardonic grin, Tatsuki looked at Uryu and asked dryly, "How exactly would you describe this situation?"

Completely straight-faced, Uryu pushed his glasses up his nose and asked, "With or without curse words?"

Before Tatsuki could respond, the wolf that was Captain Kurosaki perked his ears up and his tail began to wag. These actions may have gone unnoticed except for the fact that he followed it up by jumping up and placing his forelegs on the table so that his face was level with Orihime's. Rukia could have sworn she heard the large animal give the faintest of whines just moments before Orihime's eyelids slowly opened.

The not fully light-hearted banter forgotten, Tatsuki pushed herself away from the wall and looked as if she were about to charge at the table to make sure Orihime was all right. However, she checked herself and allowed Tessai and Uryu to have a look at her injured friend instead.

Waiting until Orihime's eyes were fully open, adjusted and searching around her, Uryu then asked, "How are you feeling? If you don't feel up to talking, blink once for 'in agonizing pain', twice for 'in pain, but it's manageable' or three times for 'don't ask me questions I don't know the answer to'."

Trying to act nonchalant, Tatsuki leaned back against the wall and gave a rather forced laugh before saying, "Really, Uryu? Joking at a time like this?"

Looking completely at ease, Uryu said matter-of-factly, "Merely trying to lighten the atmosphere a bit," before looking back down at Orihime and asking, "But all joking aside, please do answer the question. How do you feel?"

As Orihime's mouth opened, Yoruichi stepped forward and said gently yet forcefully, "Don't you say you're all right if you're really not. Be honest with us."

Apparently, Orihime had been planning to do just that and so had to take a few moments to think before she said slowly, softly yet clearly, "It hurts some...when I breathe."

"Unfortunately, that is to be expected," replied Tessai as he placed an extra blanket over Orihime and then asked, "Now, this is very important: do you feel as though you are bleeding anywhere or do you feel pressure building up somewhere?"

"No," Orihime replied after a moment's consideration, "Nothing like that."

"That's something then," said Tessai with a small smile, "Means there's no internal bleeding."

Clearing his throat and stepping forward, Urahara said, "That's good to hear, my dear. One more question that must be addressed at the moment is: do you feel up to having us move you somewhere more comfortable?"

In response to Orihime's faint frown of confusion, Urahara explained, "You're lying on a table at the moment because this space was best for Tessai and Uryu to work in. However, it's not an ideal place for you to rest up and regain your strength, so you will need to be moved. We will not move you, though, until you are ready."

"I'll be fine if you move me now," replied Orihime, "just don't go to any trouble on my account. Even a pallet on the floor would work just fine."

Scoffing, Yoruichi retorted, "As if we'd let you sleep on the floor, injuries or no injuries," then she quickly assuaged Orihime's coming apology by saying gently, "And don't apologize either. It's in your nature to have no wish to impose on a person's hospitality, but just remember that we are your friends and don't view your needs as impositions."

Turning to Rukia, Yoruichi continued, "That being said, we only have so many rooms here, so if it's all right with you, we'll have you and Orihime share a room."

Starting slightly when she realized that the comment contained a question that required an answer, Rukia replied, "Oh yes...yes, of course."

Clapping his hands together softly before rubbing them together, Urahara said brightly, "Well then, now that the logistics are taken care of, let's get this young woman moved," then he let out a soft sigh and muttered to himself, "It's times like this when having Chad around would be a great help."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Tatsuki with a slight scowl.

Holding his hands out in a placating manner, Urahara answered, "Usually, a person in Orihime's condition should be carried by stretcher to a bed, but the hallway is just big enough for one person at a time to walk down it comfortably. Therefore, transporting Orihime to the room would be infinitely easier if just one person could pick her up and carry her."

"What about Tessai?" asked Uryu.

Tessai shook his head and said, "Usually I would be able to, but the other day I was chopping firewood and strained my back."

"I see," replied Uryu as he adjusted his glasses, "That does make things a bit more complicated."

Uryu thought for a moment or two, before he left the room in the direction of the hallway in question. A few moments later, his voice drifted back into the kitchen.

"Tessai, would you be able to help carry Orihime at all?"

Taking a moment to move his arms about experimentally, Tessai then replied, "As long as I'm not carrying her by myself, I can most certainly help."

Coming back into the kitchen, Uryu started giving directions, saying, "All right then. Tessai, Urahara, Jinta and I will all carry Orihime into the room. Tessai, you'll be at her head. Urahara, you'll take her feet, while Jinta and I support her on either side."

Pushing up his glasses again, Uryu finished with, "It'll be a bit tight, but since Jinta, Orihime and myself put together will be just a little broader than Tessai, we should manage just fine."

As the men took their places, Urahara briefly took a moment to lay a hand on Jinta's shoulder and whisper in the boy's ear, "You'll do fine, Jinta. Relax so you don't stiffen up and then jostle her around if you happen to misstep. All right?" and Jinta responded with a nod of understanding.

Wondering why Orihime hadn't interjected during this conversation, Rukia looked at the woman in question and saw that she had once again closed her eyes. Whether she was asleep or unconscious, Rukia could not tell but she did rather hope for the latter as it was less likely that Orihime would wake up while being carried. When the men slipped their hands underneath her, however, it became quite apparent that Orihime had instead closed her eyes in order to brace herself. From the slight tightening of her face, Rukia saw that Orihime was in a lot of pain, but was forcing herself to relax and not cry out or wince.

As the men carried Orihime out of the room, the wolf trotted alongside them. When they reached the hallway, seeming to understand that he would only get underfoot if he tried to walk next to them, the wolf waited for the group to pass by before heading down the hallway after them.

Rukia was so entranced by the tableau in front of her, that she did not notice anything else going on. Jumping slightly at the touch of a hand on her shoulder, Rukia whirled around to see Ururu standing behind her.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," said the girl as she retracted her hand and looked apologetic as she said, "I was just going to ask if you preferred to stay up a bit longer or retire for the night."

When Rukia could only manage to stare back at Ururu blankly, the girl explained, "It's just that I know you had a bit of a rest earlier, so you may not be tired, and I also know that you didn't really eat anything earlier and I'm making a little something for everyone who's hungry, but then again you've had such a long day and all...so...well..."

"Thanks," replied Rukia, "I'm not sure what I want to do yet, but thanks."

"My pleasure," said Ururu with a small smile before turning and heading towards the kitchen.

Uncrossing her arms and pushing herself away from the wall, Tatsuki turned to Yoruichi and asked, "Would it be possible for me to settle in with Rukia and Orihime? I'm probably not going to sleep much if at all, so a chair or anything will do for me."

Shrugging her shoulders, Yoruichi replied, "It's all right with me," she inclined her head towards Rukia, "if it's all right with her."

This time, Rukia wasn't taken completely off guard by the comment and answered immediately, "Yeah, that's fine with me."

Tatsuki gave Rukia a nod by way of thanks before saying, "I'm going to check in on Chad and Renji. Wanna come along?"

"Sure," said Rukia as she got to her feet as quickly as possible. After having sat for so long, it took Rukia a few seconds before she felt stable enough to walk without fear of falling flat on her face, but she grit her teeth and willed her legs to work properly as she followed Tatsuki through the kitchen and out into the stable.

The stable was far more spacious than Rukia expected. The ceiling was about twenty-five feet high and there were enough stalls to house ten horses, five on the left and five on the right. The walk-way in between the stalls could easily allow a wagon to pass through. Hay covered the floor, but there were several bales stacked along the right side, while on the left there was a huge woodpile.

Rukia had about five seconds to take all this in before a huge figure came bounding towards her. Instinctively, Rukia's arms lifted to shield her face, but the animal didn't seem interested in her at the moment.

Allowing the animal to jump up and hook its forelegs over her shoulder, Tatsuki grinned as she stroked the furry head and said, "Hey there. Good to see you too."

Lowering her arms back down, Rukia let out a silent sigh of relief that Tatsuki hadn't noticed her moment of fright. Then, Rukia turned her attention to the large animal and realized in a moment that it was a large, furry dog. From it's dark brown coloring, but especially from the long strands of fur that were covering the eyes, Rukia realized that the dog was a transformed Chad.

"Figures," Rukia said thoughtfully.

"What?" asked Tatsuki as she turned her head just enough to look back at Rukia.

Realizing that she had actually said the word aloud and not just in her thoughts, Rukia blushed and said, "I was just thinking about how Chad being a dog fits with his personality."

"I guess so," replied Tatsuki with a faraway expression before looking back at Chad, "He is loyal and the best friend anyone could possibly ask for."

Realization dawning, Rukia blurted, "You two are married!"

When Tatsuki once again swiveled her head around to lock gazes with her, Rukia quickly slapped a hand over her mouth and said hastily, "I'm sorry!"

Drawing her eyebrows together and arching one of them, Tatsuki asked in a half-flat, half-amused tone, "What're you apologizing for?" then she shook her head and let out a half-hearted chuckle as she said, "Honestly, you're starting to act like Orihime. Always apologizing over the silliest things."

Automatically, Rukia's mouth opened to...she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say. She was rather torn between apologizing again for always apologizing or to retort that it wasn't such a bad thing to apologize when you thought you might have offended someone or said the wrong thing. Then, she decided to pause for a moment and collect her thoughts before speaking.

In that pause, Rukia again felt a weight land on her shoulder. This time, however, it was far heavier than someone's hand. Turning to look, Rukia's heart stopped momentarily when she found herself staring straight into a long, furry face with dark, shining eyes. Next moment, she realized that it was the unfamiliar creature from the previous night and concluded that she was probably looking at a transformed Renji.

"Hey," said Rukia as her gaze swept over Renji to try and figure out what he was and after a few seconds, she had to grip the side of a stall to keep herself from falling over as she laughed.

After allowing Rukia to laugh for about half a minute, Tatsuki asked, "Hey, you all right?"

Needing another fifteen seconds or so to get herself back under control, Rukia massaged the stitch in her side as she replied in between giggles, "Seeing Renji...heeheehee...just couldn't help myself...heehee...whew...heeheehee!"

Patting Chad's head so that he would get down, Tatsuki then turned to face Rukia with her arms crossed and a 'no-nonsense' look on her face as she demanded, "What are you going on about?"

Forcing herself to take three deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth, Rukia calmed herself enough to answer, saying, "Just before I met you guys last night, I woke up and felt rather ticked at Renji, so I tried to think of something insulting to call him."

At Tatsuki's arched eyebrow, Rukia said rather defensively, "I was just going to say it in my head whenever he got to be a real pain, but anyway," she said with a slight shake of the head, "it took me a while to remember what animal he reminded me of, but eventually I realized that it was a baboon."

Eyebrows rising high enough to hide behind her bangs, Tatsuki said, "Oh, I get it."

"Yeah," said Rukia as she looked back at the baboon sitting on her shoulder, "Crazy how these things happen."

"Yeah, just crazy," Tatsuki said in a rather dark tone before adding, "I don't know much about magic, but I'm pretty sure Riruka didn't choose which animals each of us were going to be when she cast her spell. Probably has something to do with our personalities and abilities, if I had to guess, but I'm not sure."

Reaching up cautiously to see if Renji would allow her to pet him, Rukia said carefully, "Before they transformed, I heard Captain Kurosaki and Chad telling Mr. Urahara and the others about how you were put under the spell by Riruka and...Tsukachi...Tsushami..."

"Tsukishima," Tatsuki supplied before saying, "And you're still a bit confused about things."

Stretching her arms above her head and saying with a bit of a groan, "Not surprising really. Even though we lived through it and have been dealing with it for a while now, I don't think any of us really understand what's going on either."

Lowering herself down to sit on the hay and allowing Chad to pad over and lay his shaggy head in her lap to stroke absentmindedly, Tatsuki said, "If you care to listen, I'll tell you what I can."

Giving Renji a chance to climb off her shoulder and scamper off somewhere else, when he then chose to wrap his arms around her head and give a kind of hooting cry, Rukia rolled her eyes and sat down across from Tatsuki. Happy at getting his way, Renji clapped his hands together with another hoot, this one sounding rather delighted, and then set to work grooming Rukia's hair like only primates can. Tatsuki grinned and gave a small chuckle at Rukia's exasperated sigh and roll of the eyes at Renji's antics. She then cleared her throat and stared off into space for a few moments before starting her story.

"I've known Ichigo for as long as I can remember. My father was a merchant who traveled extensively, but before I was born, he and my mother, who had always traveled with him, decided to build a home on the Kurosaki estate. Because we were so close in age and because my parents could afford to pay the same tutors who worked for the Kurosaki family, Ichigo and I became best friends.

"When we were about ten, Orihime and her older brother moved into a neighboring castle that had long stood abandoned due to the previous owners being executed for treason."

Smiling at the memory, Tatsuki said, "The first time Orihime came with her brother to visit, she was so shy. Even though she willingly came forward to greet Lord and Lady Kurosaki, as soon as she was finished, Orihime scurried back to hide behind her brother's steward or manservant or something like that. After that..."

Tatsuki's voice broke off suddenly as she shook her head emphatically a few times before saying, "Listen to me. You wanted to hear about Riruka and the curse and here's me blabbering on about things that happened years before that."

Momentarily forgetting about the baboon picking through her hair, Rukia shook her head vigorously and said a single, "No!" before Renji made a panicked chattering noise and wrapped his arms around her head for balance. He quickly recovered himself and gave a couple of hoots that sounded almost like he was scolding her for almost knocking him over.

Sitting still for a few moments to wait for Renji to resume his 'grooming' duties, Rukia then said, "What I meant to say was that I'm really interested in hearing any story you care to share with me."

"Very well then," replied Tatsuki with another small smile, "Where was I? Oh yes, after the adults went inside to socialize and maybe discuss some important matters, Ichigo and I slipped away to the training grounds..."

 _"Ugh, I hate wearing dresses," said Tatsuki in an agitated tone as she pulled at the clothing in question, "The sleeves always feel like they're strangling my arms."_

 _Smirking at her, Ichigo remarked casually, "If you want, I'll give you a handicap while we're sparring."_

 _Glaring daggers at him, Tatsuki shot back contemptuously, "As if I need you to take it easy on me. Even while wearing this ridiculous get-up, I bet I could beat you in five moves."_

 _Arching an eyebrow at her, Ichigo replied, "Five moves, eh? So you're going to beat me at chess?"_

 _Rolling her eyes and letting out an irritated sigh, Tatsuki said, "You know what I mean."_

 _Ichigo looked about ready to reply when he suddenly grabbed Tatsuki's hand and dragged her behind a nearby tree. When Tatsuki was just about to demand he tell her what in the world he was doing, Ichigo turned and non-verbally signaled for her to be quiet. Deciding not to argue with him (this time at least), Tatsuki remained quiet and carefully poked her head around the tree like Ichigo was in order to see what they were supposed to be hiding from._ _Weaving her way across the grass in a rather distracted manner was Orihime._

 _The moment Tatsuki had seen Orihime, she hadn't liked her one bit. She was everything Tatsuki wasn't. Where Tatsuki's hair was unruly and spiked, Orihime's hair was smooth and tamed. Where Tatsuki had to force herself to stand up straight and not cross her arms over her chest, Orihime seemed completely comfortable with her straight posture and gently folded hands in front of her. Where Tatsuki just wanted to keep a neutral expression, Orihime's smile never seemed to dim._

 _Tatsuki didn't like Orihime because she'd seen girls like Orihime before: pretty, prim and petty. So far Tatsuki had seen Orihime look pretty and act prim, so she imagined it was only a matter of time before the last 'p' came into play. It almost never came out around adults or potential future suitors, but the pettiness always revealed itself eventually. Briefly Tatsuki wondered how that particular characteristic would be drawn out of Orihime._

 _Whispering, Tatsuki asked, "So, why exactly are we hiding?"_

 _Giving Tatsuki an 'are you serious' look, Ichigo answered her question with one of his own, "So, you want her to come with us? Should we see if she knows anything about sword-fighting?"_

 _Scoffing, Tatsuki replied, "Not on your life. Just look at her. She probably doesn't know a dirk from a dagger."_

 _Holding up his hands in mock surrender, Ichigo said, "Hey, you asked the question. Not me."_

 _Just as she was about to retort, something caught Tatsuki's attention. When she looked back at Orihime, Tatsuki realized that the girl had stopped walking. While she couldn't be entirely sure, from the way Orihime was standing, Tatsuki was fairly certain that this wasn't a stop to look at a pretty flower. The girl looked as though she were rooted to the spot._

 _All of a sudden, Orihime inexplicably bent over and then turned and bolted in the opposite direction. It just so happened that Orihime started running towards Tatsuki and Ichigo, so they could clearly see the expression of fear on the girl's face._

 _First to react, Ichigo launched himself away from the tree and shouted, "What is it?" as he charged towards Orihime._

 _To Tatsuki's utter amazement, Orihime expression didn't change to one of delight as someone came running to her rescue. Instead, Orihime's face became more panicked the closer Ichigo got to her. Her mouth set in a grim line, Orihime once again bent over and released something that she had been clutching in her hands, then turned and ran back the way she had come. This time, however, she only took a few steps before falling to the ground. It took Tatsuki a moment or two before she realized that Orihime had deliberately thrown herself to the ground rather than simply tripping. Then, Tatsuki heard Orihime give a sharp yelp of pain and the next thing she knew, Tatsuki found herself running towards the oddly behaving girl._

 _Having gotten a head start, it only took Ichigo another couple of seconds to reach Orihime at which time he yelled, "What the blazes-" before stomping on the ground several times._

 _As Tatsuki got closer, Ichigo reached down and all but yanked Orihime to her feet as he shouted, "Just what did you think you were doing?! Are you completely insane?!"_

 _"Ichigo!" Tatsuki yelled as she grabbed her friend's shoulder._

 _Shaking off Tatsuki's hand, Ichigo pointed to the ground with a shaking finger and repeated, "What in blazes were you trying to do?! Get yourself killed?!"_

 _At that point, Tatsuki looked down and she had to take a step back as bile rose in her throat. The body of a huge snake was stretched out on the ground with its head completely crushed. Most of the p_ _ieces fitting together in her mind, Tatsuki felt her own temper flare up, but chose to simply glare furiously at the hapless girl._

 _Eyes shining and just about swimming, Orihime said faintly, "There was a bunny...it looked so scared...I couldn't just leave it..."_

 _"Yes, you could have!" Tatsuki exclaimed in an infuriated tone, "Bunnies die all the time! It's part of life!"_

 _Swallowing hard, Orihime's voice wavered as she said, "I know...but I thought-"_

 _"You thought?" Ichigo interrupted, "No, you didn't think! If you'd have stopped to think things through, you would have realized that having a snake more than twice your size chasing you is not a good idea!"_

 _Thinking of something, Tatsuki frowned and asked, "By the way, why did you do that?"_

 _Blinking hard a couple of times, Orihime asked, "Do what?"_

 _"Drop the bunny and try to wrestle with the snake?"_

 _Casting her gaze downwards, Orihime said in a tone just above a whisper, "I didn't want the snake to hurt either of you."_

 _Before Tatsuki or Ichigo could say another word, Orihime looked back up with a couple of tears running down her cheeks as she said, "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. I didn't...I wasn't trying to...I'm sorry."_

 _Looking over at Ichigo, when Tatsuki's gaze locked with his, she could tell he was feeling the same way as her. All the anger and frustration had just evaporated. Tatsuki had just enough time to think that maybe Orihime wasn't like the other girls she had met when the girl suddenly started swaying from side to side._ _Tatsuki was the one to reach out and grab Orihime before she collapsed onto the ground while Ichigo quickly stepped forward to help support the girl's other side._

 _Orihime's eyelids slowly drooped shut as she said faintly, "I'm sorry," before passing out in their arms._

 _Working together, Ichigo and Tatsuki carried Orihime back to the castle, hollering for help the entire way. Everyone was in a panic for about half an hour while Orihime was taken to the castle sick bay for treatment. During that time, Ichigo and Tatsuki were made to repeat the story of what had happened four different times: first for the doctor and his assistants, second for Lord and Lady Kurosaki, third for Sora and his manservant and finally for Tatsuki's parents._

 _When the doctor finally emerged, everyone was relieved to hear that while the snake had been poisonous and had managed to land a bite on Orihime's arm, she would make a full recovery in a couple of weeks. Upon hearing the last part, Lord and Lady Kurosaki insisted that Orihime remain with them until she was completely recovered. At first, Sora was reluctant, but he consented gratefully when he was also invited to stay._

Stretching her legs out in front of her with a soft groan, Tatsuki then relaxed and said, "You'll probably understand what I mean when I say that before I knew it, I couldn't remember what it was like when Orihime wasn't there. She just has this way of...I don't know how to describe it...she's just so natural. Everything about her."

Rukia nodded slowly in agreement as she lifted a hand to stifle a yawn as she replied, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Giving Rukia a knowing look, Tatsuki gave Chad a final pat on the head before standing up and saying, "We could both do with a rest, even if we don't sleep."

Taking Tatsuki's proffered hand, Rukia stood up and said, "Sounds like a plan," before reaching up to tap Renji's shoulder and say firmly, "All right, you've been going at it long enough."

Renji's response was to hoot a couple times and then jump onto one of the poles and nimbly climb up to the ceiling. Before he leaped from her shoulder, Rukia was fairly certain that she felt the baboon give her hair a kind of kiss. She tried not to think about it as she made her way into the house. The fact that she had just been kissed by a baboon. A baboon that was also a boy she had just met yesterday and who she...Rukia didn't allow herself to finish that thought.

When she opened the bedroom door, Rukia saw Orihime stretched out and sleeping peacefully. At the foot of the bed, Captain Kurosaki lay curled up but he was most definitely not asleep. His ears perked up and he turned his head slightly when Rukia and Tatsuki entered, but relaxed once again when they closed the door.

There was a pallet on the floor and before Rukia could say anything, Tatsuki said, "I said I would sleep on the pallet. Besides, I don't think there'd be enough room for me on the bed with those two."

Nodding in agreement, Rukia climbed onto the bed as slowly and carefully as possible. Even with all her efforts not to disturb Orihime, the woman's eyes opened and she turned her attention to Rukia.

A tired smile lit up Orihime's face as she said, "There you are. I was wondering when you'd turn up."

Rukia couldn't help but return Orihime's smile as Orihime patted the space next to her and said, "If you wouldn't mind, I'm a bit chilly, so you can come right here."

Nodding once, Rukia did as she was asked and curled up at Orihime's side.

"That's better," said Orihime in a faint voice and she turned to settle her cheek on the top of Rukia's head as she said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Rukia replied. A few minutes later, she was asleep, only this time when she woke up, Rukia would feel like she had slept well.

 **Author's Note:**

I'm going to quickly post this and then head to bed. Writing about people going to sleep when you are just about ready to do so yourself is almost tortuous. However, I know that the wait I put you guys through between updates it probably just as bad, so I tried to make this update worth it. It is considerably longer and I hope that things are coming together in a way that makes sense.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!


	9. 8: History and Promises

Much to Rukia's amazement, she slept undisturbed through the night and well into the early morning hours. As a result, she completely missed Uryu and Tessai coming in to check on Orihime every hour. Rukia also didn't wake up when Tatsuki and the wolf left the bedroom about ten minutes before the sun rose. She even managed to sleep through Orihime once again shifting into her bird form and Captain Kurosaki entering the room almost fifteen minutes later followed by Chad and Tessai.

Keeping his gaze fixed on Orihime, Ichigo asked barely above a whisper, "How's she doing?"

"Lady Orihime is going to be fine," replied Tessai gently and yet matter-of-factly, "however, she needs at least a week's worth of rest before anyone even considers going anywhere with her."

"I know," said Ichigo in a flat tone, then closed his eyes and restated in a calmer tone, "Understood, Tessai. She will stay here and recover."

"We will all stay here," interjected Chad, whose voice was uncharacteristically steel-laced, "until everyone is ready for travel."

Clearing his throat as he came into the room, Kisuke said, "Quite right, quite right. All bumps, scrapes, lacerations and such like should be given ample time to heal before anyone ventures forth."

Looking down at the bed's sleeping occupants, Kisuke continued in a less playful tone, "And besides, we need time to plan out some sort of strategy to maybe possibly get this spell lifted."

Raising a single eyebrow, Ichigo said with just a hint of sarcasm, "I wonder how we've managed to make it this far without you."

Not put off in the slightest, Kisuke said in his usual manner, "It is something of a wonder, but let's all go get something to eat. I believe Yoruichi and Ururu have pulled out all the stops for breakfast this morning."

Turning his attention back to the bed, Ichigo hesitated a moment or two before replying, "I'm not really hungry right now, but I'll be along," and seeing no reason to try and press the man into forcing himself to leave his recovering wife's side, the others left the room as quietly as they had entered.

Captain Kurosaki stood transfixed to the spot for a time before sitting down on the pallet that Tatsuki had previously used. Rubbing first at his eyes, then the top of his head and finally massaging the back of his neck, Ichigo realized just how bone-tired he was. However, sleep was not an option. His mind was constantly racing with a tumultuous blend of memories of his past and nightmares about the future while he was awake. Falling asleep would only loosen whatever control he still had over his mind if not eliminate it completely.

Leaning his head back against the wall, Ichigo let out a slow, silent sigh as he looked at Rukia's sleeping form from the back. Yet another person whose life and well-being he had chosen to take responsibility for at least in his own mind. Despite being told by the others on multiple occasions that it was unnecessary, Ichigo held himself accountable when it came to taking care of those he cared about. Yes, there was a line that had to be drawn between things he could and could not control, but that wasn't going to stop him from doing everything within his power to protect his loved ones.

"Then again, I am a big part of the problem here," mumbled Ichigo to himself as his head dropped to rest against his knees, "They would all be much better off without..." but his voice trailed off before he could finish that thoughtful sentence.

Running a hand halfway through his hair before placing his elbow atop his knee, Ichigo looked up thoughtfully at the bed without truly seeing it. He had just remembered Chad's words from a couple days ago about Orihime not being happy without him as well as a memory that he had all but forgotten. It was about two years after he had first met Orihime. She and her brother had come to visit around Ichigo's thirteenth birthday...

 _"Too slow!" exclaimed Tatsuki with relish as she knocked Ichigo's blade away and slashed viciously at his midsection._

 _"Oof!" was all the teen-aged boy was able to manage as the wooden sword knocked some of the air out of him. Anything that was left was very quickly and painfully expelled as he landed on his back._

 _Twirling her practice sword deftly, Tatsuki stood triumphantly over her fallen friend and asked in an annoyingly patronizing tone, "Are you ready to continue your lesson in defeat or have you had enough?"_

 _Too winded to verbally reply, Ichigo rolled his eyes and knocked the sword away with his hand before trying to rise to his feet. To his complete humiliation, he only managed to roll over onto his hands and knees before he started to cough uncontrollably after inhaling a bit too sharply. The coughing fit only helped to aggravate his already bruised midsection and back, so Ichigo was caught in a vicious cycle of pain and completely unable to catch his breath. It wasn't too long before he started feeling a bit light-headed._

 _Ichigo had just enough brainpower to think in a dark humor, "Great. I'm going to pass out any second now."_

 _Having been too wrapped up in his own issues and pain, Ichigo hadn't noticed a third party enter the sparring grounds. So while it came as something of a surprise when a pair of hands gently yet adamantly pushed him down onto his side, Ichigo didn't yet have the wherewithal to figure out or even really care who was helping him. He just wanted to emerge from this situation alive as soon as possible. Preferably with most of his dignity still intact, but it was not a requirement._

 _Finally able to catch his breath, Ichigo closed his eyes and breathed steadily yet carefully for a time. As his head cleared and his senses returned, Ichigo realized that his head was being cradled in someone's lap. One hand was massaging the top of his head, while the other carefully rubbed his back._

 _Frowning to himself, Ichigo thought as he opened his eyes, "Strange. I never took Tatsuki for..." but the thought died away as he looked up and saw that he wasn't being attended to by his best friend._

 _"How do you feel?"_

 _The question was asked so softly that Ichigo almost didn't hear it, but rather than answering, Ichigo croaked out, "Tatsuki..."_

 _"She's gone for the physician."_

 _Scowling as best he could, Ichigo tried to clamber up as he declared, "Don't need-" but he just as quickly stopped when those same, small hands gripped him and pushed him down again._

 _"Please don't, Ichigo."_

 _Again, the words were whisper soft, but they compelled Ichigo to stay where he was. That didn't mean he had to be happy about it...then again, he wasn't necessarily unhappy with his current forced paralysis. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure how he should be feeling at the moment and it didn't help matters that his head was starting to feel a bit fuzzy once again. Lying down with one's head in the lap of a pretty girl might just do that to a slowly maturing teen boy. If he didn't have a clue before this time about girls and the effect they could have on a boy's senses, then this incident had certainly started bringing it to Ichigo's attention._

 _After what seemed like an age yet also too short of a time, Tatsuki came back with the physician. Orihime (for it was she who had arrived so unexpectedly and tended to Ichigo) leaned back to give the physician room to examine his patient, but no effort was made on anyone's part to remove the injured boy's head from her lap._

 _Leaning back with a wry, dry grin, the physician said seriously, "Well, I can't see that anything much is the matter with him. He'll probably have some bruising from the hit and the fall, but he looks as though he's recovered enough to stand on his own. Isn't that so, young master?"_

 _Ichigo's response was to push and stumble to his feet as quickly as possible. It came as something of a shock when his knees trembled slightly and he wasn't able to find his balance right away, but more surprising still was when he felt those same, small hands grip him hard enough to keep him from falling over. While he had somehow managed to keep it at bay before, Ichigo's face and neck were engulfed by a crimson blush. Somehow, even in the midst of his emotional and mental turmoil, Ichigo managed to look down at Orihime and couldn't help the slight bit of relief he felt when he saw that her cheeks and neck were just as flushed as his. But while Orihime was highly embarrassed, she also looked determined enough to try supporting or even attempting to carry him all the way back to the castle should the need arise._

 _His first instinct was to pull away from Orihime and declare that he was perfectly fine or ask someone else to help him, but Ichigo stopped himself and said without thinking, "It's about time for the noon meal. If you'd help me part of the way back to the castle, I'd appreciate it."_

 _The smile Orihime gave him made Ichigo's heart do a weird sort of flipping-flopping motion. Just the other day, Ichigo had been so proud of the fact that he had grown almost six inches in as many months, but now he despised the fact that he was now almost a whole head taller than Orihime. It meant that even if he turned his head away, she could still look up at him and see him blushing like a child who had been caught in the act of doing something exceptionally naughty._

 _After an excruciatingly long walk up to the castle, followed by a flurry of frenzied activity from his mother to make sure her darling boy was all right with the added bonus of a just as panicked Yuzu hanging around him, Ichigo was finally made to sit in a chair with his feet propped up to rest. While he didn't mind his mother insisting on arranging multiple cushions for him to sit on, when he saw Tatsuki and Karin covering up similar smirks at him being bundled up with blankets he was about ready to storm off to his room and bolt the door behind him. However, he endured it because he didn't want to be a complete jerk and it was his own fault that he was in this position at all._

 _When he was finally left alone to stew at his own stupidity, it came as something of a surprise when a hand on his shoulder startled him awake. Ichigo blinked and reached up to rub his eyes to clear them, but moved too quickly and wound up aggravating his bruised midsection._

 _"I'm sorry, Ichigo," said Orihime apologetically, "I would have let you keep sleeping, but it's nearly time for the evening meal."_

 _"Don't worry about it," replied Ichigo with a wry, half-grin and was about to tell her for the millionth time not to apologize for every little thing, when something in her expression made him pause and ask instead, "What's wrong?"_

 _Orihime's eyes widened more than usual as she answered automatically, "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."_

 _Just as he was about to retort that she wasn't and to tell him what was on her mind, some sixth sense told him to just wait. And to look at her expectantly and maybe a little skeptically. He wasn't even entirely sure why he was doing this, but something just felt off about Orihime's whole demeanor._

 _His instincts didn't steer him wrong as about a minute later, Orihime finally broke down and said shamefacedly, "I know I shouldn't worry about such things, but I can't help it! I know Sora would never force me to, but what if...oh, what if we aren't given a choice?! I don't know what to do!"_

 _"Umm..." replied Ichigo in a flat tone, "how about you go back to the beginning and explain what in blaz-I mean, tell me plainly what's on your mind," then he added after a moment, "Please."_

 _Staring fixedly at the flooring for a time and slowly tracing a design with the toe of her shoe, Orihime mumbled, "My brother and I recently returned from court. I met a girl there who was about my age and we became good friends. Her name was Nel."_

 _Again, Ichigo decided not to say anything and wait until Orihime continued, saying, "Before Sora and I left, the king announced that he and Nel's father had arranged for her to be married to a nobleman who was a relation of the king's. The wedding will be held after she turns fifteen."_

 _Beginning to see where Orihime was going with this story, Ichigo felt the breath catch in his throat when he heard Orihime choke out, "Even though Nel looked so calm, I saw...I saw...Nel's hands were trembling and I couldn't help her. It was all she could do to keep smiling as everyone kept congratulating her and her betrothed."_

 _Before he could stop himself, Ichigo heard himself ask hoarsely, "Who is she going to marry?"_

 _It took Orihime a few tries before she was able to reply, "Lord Barragan."_

 _Bile rose in Ichigo's throat. He had met the man once about three years previously. The man had to be in his forties at least, but Ichigo suspected he might even be over fifty. Also, Ichigo was fairly certain that Barragan had been married previously, but his wife had only given birth to stillborn children and had died after falling from her horse._

 _Looking back at Orihime and mulling over her words, Ichigo tried to imagine a girl like Orihime being betrothed to a man like Barragan. He pushed the thought aside as he felt a wave of nausea pass over him that was quickly replaced by righteous fury and indignation._

 _Seizing Orihime's hands in his, Ichigo looked straight into her watery gray eyes and said resolutely, "You don't have to worry about anything like that happening to you, Orihime. I'll marry you when we're old enough, so you don't have to cry anymore."_

 _Not surprisingly, Orihime was completely caught off guard and only managed to stammer helplessly, "I...don't...wait...what?"_

 _Fighting to keep his complexion and tone neutral, Ichigo rephrased his statement, saying, "When you're grown up and ready, I will..." he stopped and rephrased his rephrasing and asked, "Orihime, would you like to marry me when we're older?"_

 _"Ichigo, I..." was all Orihime could manage before completely breaking down and throwing her arms around Ichigo's neck. Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer so that she was more comfortably sitting in his lap, Ichigo couldn't help but smile affectionately at Orihime trying and failing to give her answer to his proposal due to her uncontrollable, relieved sobbing._

 _On a whim, Ichigo turned his head to softly kiss her hair. Instinctively, Ichigo inhaled as Orihime's hair tickled his nose and he felt a slight tug in his ribcage. He would never forget that smell: honeysuckle and sage. Normally, those two scents wouldn't go together, but with Orihime, they seemed made for each other._

Looking back at the bed, Captain Kurosaki felt that same resolution he had felt all those years ago as he said to himself, "I don't deserve her, but I won't give her up to anyone else. She chose me."

 **Author's Note:**

Another update that was a really long time in the making. Not sure if I wanted to get anything else done in this part, but it's either post what I have now, or wait another undetermined amount of time before posting. I figure most of you would rather have the former.

Anyway, credit where credit is due. I need to thank the wonderful pamiart for allowing me to use one of her Ichihime drawings for inspiration on Ichigo proposing to Orihime when they were still young. I didn't quote her caption word for word and I think I aged them a little bit here, but the gist is still the same, so thank you pamiart! (Just to cover my bases, yes I did personally contact pamiart and ask if I could use her art for inspiration and she did say yes!)

Thank you all for your patience with me as I procrastinate with each and every update on all my stories. You guys are the reason that I keep coming back and updating.


	10. 9: Attachments and Obsessions

Fortunately, when Rukia finally woke up, it was a gradual process that gave herself enough time to reprocess where she was and what was going on. When she opened her eyes, Rukia saw the re-transformed Orihime lying next to her. As carefully as possible, Rukia stretched and rubbed her eyes before trying to sneak off the bed. Careful as she was, the bird's eyes opened and then immediately began trying to twist around to raise itself up. Reaching over, Rukia gently stroked Orihime's feathers in an attempt to calm her, while taking care not to get to close to the wounded area of her chest. It worked almost immediately and the hawk lay looking up at Rukia with large, almost intelligent eyes.

Hearing a kind of snapping noise, Rukia turned her head and saw Captain Kurosaki rising up from the floor. Rather perplexed, Rukia wondered how she could possibly have heard a twig snapping inside of the house, until she heard it again when the captain rose to his full height and realized that she had merely heard the captain's joints popping back into place.

"Good morning," said Rukia automatically.

The ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Captain Kurosaki's mouth as he replied, "I suppose it could be called that. Sleep well?"

"Uh-huh," Rukia nodded but before she could return the question, her stomach growled rather menacingly.

This time the captain's grin won over as he said, "I believe I heard talk of breakfast not long ago. C'mon."

"What about her?" asked Rukia as she gestured to the now calm Orihime.

"As long as you're careful," answered the captain with another small grin, "I don't see any reason not to bring her along. She could probably do with a change of scenery."

Rukia slipped off the bed and turned to gently slide her hands underneath Orihime's still form. As careful as she was, Rukia must have accidentally brushed the wrong feather or something as the hawk let out a small squawk of pain. Momentarily spooked, Rukia nearly dropped Orihime completely, but just as quickly recovered and gingerly finished lifting the bird into her arms. With the hawk nestled gently in the crook of her arms, Rukia was struck with an image of a mother cradling a little baby or child. Evidently, the captain must have had the same mental picture as his expression became strained and rather pained before he turned and strode towards the door.

When they arrived in the kitchen, Rukia saw everyone sitting around table and apparently in deep conversation. In front of Urahara, there was a pile of papers and several books. Some open, some just balanced haphazardly on top of each other. Next moment, Rukia's stomach rumbled again and she realized what was missing from the scene. The scent of food was very faint, but unmistakable, yet there was not a trace of it anywhere.

Looking up with a knowing grin, Yoruichi rose from her seat and said, "Good to see the two of you. I made you each a plate, so just give me a moment while I get them."

For his part, Urahara smiled broadly while stretching his arms out just as wide as he said, "Ah, glad you could join us, Ichigo. Chad and I were just going over a few things having to do with what you remember about Riruka's spell."

As the captain slowly lowered himself into a chair next to the other men, Rukia's eyes connected with Renji's. Seeing the young man sitting there so composed and self-assured, Rukia couldn't quite rectify the image with the hooting, gamboling baboon from the previous night. She may have been able to keep her composure had not Renji ruined everything.

"Good morning," said Renji with a smile, "How'd you sleep?"

This, plus the baboon of the night before, plus the memory of his distrust of her only two days ago was too much for Rukia to bear. As quickly and carefully as possible, Rukia trotted over to Chad, silently placed Orihime in his huge, gentle hands and all but sprinted down the hallway and out to the stable. Closing the door firmly behind her, Rukia momentarily closed her eyes and leaned heavily against it as she let out a long sigh. Opening her eyes again, she saw the two horses looking at her with their huge eyes with a kind of intelligence and understanding. As such, Rukia did not feel at all awkward about going over and venting to them.

"What is _wrong_ with me?! There are so many other things that should take priority over this...this..."

Uryu blew out heavily, flapping his lips.

"Exactly! I'm being ridiculous! He's not the first guy I've ever come across and he certainly won't be the last. He's not even the most attractive guy I've ever seen. He even tried to pick bugs out of my hair last night!"

Tatsuki gave Rukia a long look before shaking her mane vigorously.

Rukia sighed, "Yes, I know he was a baboon right then, but it doesn't change the fact that he did it. He picked through my hair! Who does that?!"

Pulling her lips back, Tatsuki nickered and tossed her head again.

Slinging her arms over the side of the stall, Rukia glowered as she mumbled to herself, "That's not the point at all. I only just met him and already I...I..."

Blushing furiously in embarrassment and frustration, Rukia buried her head in her arms and mumbled, "Get a grip already, would you?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Whirling around with a racing heart, Rukia's flushed face became even more heated as her eyes connected with Yoruichi's knowing, golden gaze.

"Do what?" Rukia said in lame, unconvincing denial.

Arching her left eyebrow, Yoruichi explained patiently, "As untimely as it may seem, trying to convince yourself that you're not attracted to a certain young man is not going to help anyone. Especially yourself."

Before Rukia could blurt out some lame excuse, Yoruichi continued, "The best thing you can do right now is acknowledge your feelings and move on. Don't obsess over them, but don't ignore them either. That way they won't control you. How do you think-"

When Yoruichi cut herself off abruptly, Rukia frowned quizzically at the woman as she inquired, "How do I think what?"

For just a moment, Yoruichi seemed hesitant and a little reluctant to answer, but then her expression hardened slightly in determination and resolve as she said mostly to herself, "You're already up to your eyeballs in this mess, so might as well," and before Rukia could ask for clarification, Yoruichi asked, "How much do you know about Riruka and Tsukishima?"

Momentarily taken aback by the question, Rukia recovered herself and sat down as she answered, "Tsukishima wanted to marry Ori-I mean Lady Orihime and isn't Riruka the one who cast the spell to change everyone?"

Nodding once, Yoruichi crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling as she said, "Even before I married Kisuke, I was employed in King Tamashi's court as a mentor to young noblewomen. A friend and I worked together to 'finish' teaching them about how to interact within the higher social circles and give them supervised hands on training should they wish to become a lady-in-waiting one day."

Yoruichi grinned wryly as she said, "I say I helped train the girls, but the truth is that my friend actually did most of the work in those areas. Most of my responsibilities lay in keeping all the young ladies safe, but primarily I organized security for the queen and princesses both for their outings and inside the palace."

Leaning her head against the wall, Yoruichi continued in a far-off tone, "Riruka came to us first and about a month or two after Orihime arrived. Things between them remained neutral for about a year or so. Until _he_ arrived..."

 _"All right then, ladies. Let's see your handiwork. Remember that bandages need to be tied tight enough to keep everything in place, but loose enough to still allow for comfort and good circulation."_

 _"Umm...pardon me, Lady Yoruichi?"_

 _Yoruichi arched an eyebrow at the girl who had just spoken and asked in a rather cool tone, "Yes, Lady Rurichiyo? What is it?"_

 _The girl's green eyes flashed with uneasiness under the elder woman's stern, golden gaze, but she quickly mustered up her bravado again and plowed ahead, saying in a politely haughty tone, "I don't understand why we're learning about how to tie bandages and tend wounds when the physicians are perfectly capable and far more qualified to do so for us. We came here to learn how to be true ladies of the court, not to study-"_

 _Holding up her hand, Yoruichi waited for Ruichiyo to stop talking before saying in a deceptively calm tone, "You were sent here by those who trust Lady Rangiku and myself with your training. Therefore, it is not for you to question or refuse to learn anything that either of us deem necessary to teach you."_

 _Pausing momentarily, Yoruichi mentally gritted her teeth as she went on, "However, I will give you one good reason as to why I am teaching you these basic medical skills. It is true that a certified physician would definitely be needed for major wounds, but I imagine that any young lady who is willing to use whatever skills she may have to tend to the minor wounds of a noble or high-ranking officer would have a better chance of catching the man's attention than a young woman who cannot or will not."_

 _Seeing almost all of their eyes light up in understanding and borderline cunning made Yoruichi's hair stand on end. This was the one thing she loathed above all things at court. The selfish and grasping tendencies of those foolish or desperate enough to attempt playing at court._

 _Clapping her hands twice, Yoruichi said matter-of-factly, "So then, let me see how you all fared."_

 _Just as she came to the last few girls, a servant entered hastily and dropped into a curtsy as she said, "Pardon me, Lady Yoruichi, but Lady Rangiku sent me down to inform you all that the troops along with all the new recruits are returning to the castle and will arrive in the courtyard shortly."_

 _Yoruichi sensed more than heard the sharp intake of breath from those around her and she groaned internally. She'd have at least a week's worth of tireless night patrolling now that they had arrived. If more than ten of the young men were especially handsome and well-to-do, it could easily be two week's worth if not three until the fascination wore off._

 _Out loud, Yoruichi said with a wave of her hand, "Very well. Tell Lady Rangiku we'll join her down there shortly."_

 _As the servant curtsied again before exiting the room, Yoruichi turned to her charges and said sternly, "Now, I want all of you to listen to me very carefully. We are all going down to the courtyard to greet the new arrivals and welcome the troops back to the castle. There will be ample time to get to know these young men, but now is not that time. Do I make myself quite clear?"_

 _"Yes, Lady Yoruichi," came the chorus of responses, each carrying a different degree of disappointment and/or understanding._ _Looking around, Yoruichi saw only two young ladies who didn't seem put out at not being allowed to mingle and potentially flirt with the new arrivals. Orihime was looking at Yoruichi with a wide-eyed, awe-filled expression, one of the only young ladies Yoruichi had ever come across who followed the rules simply because it was the right thing to do. Riruka, on the other hand, looked rather bored and irritated with the whole idea of going downstairs. She had been quite vocal from the first day that she wouldn't settle for anything less than the best in everything, so unless there was a noble among the ranks of soldiers who was both wealthy and extraordinarily handsome, Riruka wouldn't be wasting her time with those young men._

 _Inhaling deeply, Yoruichi silently led her charges down to the courtyard. Every so often, Yoruichi was certain she heard the sound of a few of the girls whispering and giggling to one another. Fortunately, all of them seemed perfectly composed by the time they arrived at their destination. Spotting Rangiku on the opposite side of the courtyard, Yoruichi made her way over to her friend and the girls wordlessly fell into formation behind them._

 _Looking over at Yoruichi, Rangiku grinned knowingly as she said, "Smile, Yoruichi. You know the drill," and e_ _ven though Yoruichi tried to give her friend a withering look, the corners of her mouth were hard pressed to remain firm and unrelenting._

 _Turning her attention back to the arch through which the troops would be coming through at any moment, Yoruichi sensed more than heard the restlessness of not only her young charges, but also a bit from some of the ladies-in-waiting who had not been part of the court for long. Probably one reason Yoruichi so strongly disliked all this fuss and bother was because in the not too distant future, the young ladies behind her would undergo a gradual yet permanent transformation into calculating, cold and two-faced women of court. At this point, while some of them definitely had their selfish, self-absorbed moments, they were still teachable and modifiable. Once they were officially considered to be part of the court, the self-interest of each young girl would take priority and while they might remember the basics of all the lessons Yoruichi and Rangiku taught them, the heart and soul of those teachings would be lost to them forever._

 _Rhythmic, heavy footsteps heralded the arrival of the troops about a minute before they actually came into view. As a result, the women were given more than enough time to adjust their grips on their handkerchiefs, do a last minute check of their appearance and allow their expressions to take on a variety of emotions ranging from coyly excited to joyously flirtatious to coolly intrigued._

 _Composing her features into an expression of detached interest, Yoruichi nodded in acknowledgement at the passing soldiers while keeping her eyes and ears open to spot any sort of trouble. To her immense surprise, the trouble (of sorts) came from the one young lady Yoruichi had been convinced would not cause any._

 _It began with a soft gasp and a breathy voice whispering in surprise, "Oh my..." and when Yoruichi casually looked over her shoulder, she saw Orihime staring rather slack-jawed at the passing soldiers. However, the emotion shining in Orihime's eyes was enough to make Yoruichi turn her attention back to the rows of young men to try and pick out the one Orihime might know. Part of Yoruichi was hoping that the young woman had spotted her beloved brother, whom she talked about and corresponded with quite frequently, but that was doubtful. The color in Orihime's cheeks said otherwise._

 _In a matter of seconds, Yoruichi believed she spotted the very man. He was astride a horse, which branded him as one who had a title or money and land or possibly all three. Looking him over critically, Yoruichi saw that he had chosen to buy or use quality armor and weapons rather than go for something flashy and almost worthless just to impress the bystanders. Every so often, he would deign to turn his head and acknowledge the crowd's presence with a nod of his own and an occasional wave, but his stoic expression and constantly shifting gaze told Yoruichi that he took his job seriously. A true soldier._

 _Just as Yoruichi was about to ponder whether Orihime's affections were attached to a man who didn't even know who she was, the young man looked down again. This time, Yoruichi was sure she saw the young man's expression soften just enough to give the barest hint of a smile. More than that, he inclined his head and gave the traditional salute of respect for one a soldier holds dear: two fingers pressed against the heart center. The gesture was so brief and subtly done that Yoruichi wouldn't have noticed it had she not been watching him the entire time._

 _Besides Orihime and herself, Yoruichi saw that two others who were riding alongside him had noticed the soldier's greeting to Orihime. While they didn't say or do anything to draw attention to the scene, Yoruichi was fairly certain that those two would be pressing the soldier for information later on._

 _After the entire affair, everyone was informed that there was to be a splendid feast the following evening to celebrate the return of the troops as well as to welcome the new arrivals. As such, while Yoruichi did have to put up with more ridiculous chatter the following day, since no one had been introduced to each other yet, she didn't have to worry about 'fraternizing' just yet. That would happen after the feast._

 _The next day, while she did do her level best to distract the girls for a while by teaching them how to set a broken bone and apply a splint, Yoruichi excused them early so that they would have more than enough time to primp and pretty themselves before the feast. The area was a flurry of activity and the noise of chatter so cacophonous that Yoruichi wouldn't have been at all surprised to learn that the young ladies could be heard by the troops all the way on the training grounds. Against all odds (or so it seemed to Yoruichi), all the young ladies were lined up and ready to go on time. For once, there were no stragglers putting final touches on anything._

 _Leading the way, Yoruichi brought the young ladies down to the great hall and there were more than a few sighs and gasps at the transformation. Normally, the hall only had a few tapestries decorating the walls and maybe a small fire going in the huge fireplace, but tonight everything had been scrubbed spotless, banners of the royal and noble families were on display and a roaring fire blazed at the opposite end of the room. At the moment, there were long banquet tables heavy laden with the beginnings of a sumptuous feast, but when everyone had eaten their fill it would all be cleared away to make room for dancing and mingling._

 _In what seemed like an obscenely short amount of time, all of Yoruichi's young charges began looking about them eagerly and acting flirtatious enough to catch the eyes of as many young men as possible. As might be expected, their antics did not fail to catch the notice of quite a few of the young gentry and infantry. While both groups did wait to approach the other until they were properly introduced (which wouldn't be until after the feast), Yoruichi could just imagine both the males and females impatiently counting down the seconds before they could talk, flirt and basically make fools of themselves._

 _Next moment, Yoruichi's eyes widened in incredulous surprise as she saw the young soldier from the afternoon come forward and make a beeline towards Orihime. Just as she was about to intercept them, Yoruichi felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Rangiku give her a surreptitious wink before making her way over to stand next to Orihime._

 _Instead of looking shame-faced and changing course, the young man walked up to Rangiku and performed a flawless bow before he straightened up and said in a deep, baritone, "Good evening, Milady. I am an old friend of Lady Inoue's."_

 _"I see," replied Rangiku as she held out her hand and said, "Lady Rangiku Matsumouto-Ichimaru."_

 _Taking Rangiku's proffered hand, the young man bowed once again to politely press his lips against it before saying, "And I am Viscount Ichigo Kurosaki."_

 _Politely retracting her hand, Rangiku tapped a finger on her chin and said with recognition dawning on her features, "Ah, yes. Now that you mention it, I do see very strong Isshin Kurosaki features like your chin and rather unruly hair."_

 _As Ichigo nodded in a rather resigned way, Rangiku asked, "Your mother is Lady Masaki, correct?" and at Ichigo's affirmative nod, Rangiku said with a knowing smile, "I thought so. You may get the majority of your rugged good looks from your rascal of a father, but your eyes are definitely your mother's. Her best feature, I'd say."_

 _Giving her a smile, sincere grin, Ichigo replied in a quiet voice that Yoruichi almost didn't hear, "I agree."_

 _This entire time, Orihime had not said a word, but just as she was about to speak, Rangiku laid a hand on the girl's shoulder and said to Ichigo, "While I am aware that you and Lady Orihime do have a previous acquaintance and don't require an introduction, there is still a long-standing tradition that the young wards of the court are not approached by anyone other than family until after the feast is over. You understand, I'm sure?"  
_

 _Bowing a third time, Ichigo said rather apologetically, "I hope you will pardon my lack of impropriety just now, then. There are several messages from people back home that I promised to pass along at the earliest opportunity, but those will keep just fine until after the feast."_

 _"I understand," replied Rangiku before adding with a knowing smirk, "and Lady Orihime does look quite radiant tonight, does she not? I'm sure that you are quite anxious to become properly reacquainted with your friend who left a young girl and now stands before you as a young woman."_

 _Rangiku's timing couldn't have been more devious or impeccable as just after she finished speaking, the trumpets sounded a fanfare to announce the arrival of the king and the imminent start of the feast. So, instead of either party being able to protest or say anything in response, Ichigo and Orihime were forced to quickly find their places at tables on either side of the hall with unmistakable blushes burning their cheeks._

 _Coming alongside her friend as they stood to the side and waited for their charges to seat themselves first, Yoruichi leaned over to whisper in Rangiku's ear, "Not that I'm necessarily complaining, but why didn't you just send the kid packing rather than standing there and talking to him for a bit before doing the same thing?"_

 _Grinning conspiratorially back at Yoruichi, Rangiku replied, "Well, that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun, now would it? And besides, the poor boy had not a clue what he was walking into, but he was definitely bound and determined to come over and speak to her, so what does that tell you about him?"_

 _Thinking back to the salute he had given her earlier, Yoruichi said with a small smile, "Why don't you tell me."_

 _Throwing up her hands in mock exasperation, Rangiku sighed, "Only that he is hopelessly smitten with our young and equally smitten Lady Inoue. He doesn't seem like the romantic type, but he had absolutely no qualms about singling her out this afternoon and again just now which also indicates him as the loyal, one-track mind type."_

 _"Whereas," said Yoruichi in a knowing tone, "you are a hopeless romantic and while you will lead the boy on what seems like a fruitless pursuit just to amuse yourself, there is nothing that would please you more than to see those two get married and settle down. Maybe even suggest to them that their firstborn girl be named after you."_

 _"You didn't mention anything about helping them fall in madly love," Rangiku said with a slight frown, "That is the most fun part of the whole affair."_

 _"As to that," replied Yoruichi with a nod in Orihime's direction, "unless I'm very much mistaken, they took care of that themselves."_

 _Waving a dismissive hand, Rangiku said, "Oh, there's no question that she is hopelessly in love with him. But does he feel the same about her?"_

 _Quirking an eyebrow at Rangiku, Yoruichi said with a grin, "And I suppose you're going to help him make up his mind in that area."_

 _Shrugging her shoulders expressively, Rangiku said in a mock defensive tone, "I'm not going to do anything ludicrous. I may just coax his true feelings to the surface through one or two of my tried and true methods."_

 _Rolling her eyes as she and Rangiku made their way to the head of their table to sit down as the servants began filing into the hall laden with food-filled trays, Yoruichi said in a flat tone, "You're going to make him jealous."_

 _Giving Yoruichi a sly wink, Rangiku said unapologetically, "Like I said. Tried and true methods."_

"What's going on in here?"

Yoruichi's narrative was abruptly interrupted by Renji poking his head around the stable door. Completely absorbed in the story, Rukia jumped and nearly cried out in surprise as her gaze connected with Renji's.

Just before she could yell at him for nearly making her jump out of her skin, Renji said apologetically, "Sorry about that. I got curious when you didn't come back."

Coming around the door, Rukia saw that he was carrying a plate of food as he said, "Thought you might be really hungry by now, so I came to bring you this."

Rising up and stalking over to him, Rukia stared up at Renji for a moment or two torn between berating him for interrupting Yoruichi's story or grudgingly thanking him for bringing her breakfast. Instead, she chose to simply take the plate silently and give him a nod of gratitude before going back and to settle herself against the side of Tatsuki's stall as she ate.

Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Renji turned to Yoruichi to ask, "Uh, what exactly did I just interrupt?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Yoruichi replied, "I was just giving Rukia a bit more background information on Riruka and Tsukishima."

Looking back and forth between the two females, Renji asked in a slightly hesitant tone, "Mind if I join?"

Swallowing her bite of food, Rukia frowned at him as she said, "I would think you'd have a better idea of what's going on than most."

Scratching the back of his head, Renji shrugged as he answered, "Just because Riruka included me in the spell, doesn't mean I know why she was so determined to marry Captain Kurosaki."

Nearly choking on the food in her mouth, Rukia pounded her chest of couple of times before she croaked, "She what?! I thought Lady Orihime was the one who was being forced to get married."

"Orihime's forced betrothal to Tsukishima came first," said Yoruichi in a cool tone, "My guess is that Riruka hoped that once Orihime was married and out of the way, Ichigo would fall for her instead."

"That's one thing I haven't understood from the beginning," interjected Renji as he sat across from Yoruichi, "How could Tsukishima become betrothed to Lady Orihime when she was already promised to Captain Kurosaki?"

Picking up a couple pieces of straw and beginning to weave them together, Yoruichi replied, "Because their betrothal was never made official. Both Sora and Ichigo's parents were in favor of the match, but because they didn't go through the traditional ceremony, King Tamashi didn't consider Orihime to be an engaged noblewoman."

Scowling, Rukia asked, "Why would that matter? It's not like the king is allowed to decide who gets to marry whom."

Clearing her throat, Yoruichi replied, "Actually, while it doesn't happen very often, it is one of the king's rights to propose a match between two nobles. He can't officially force them to get married, but should one choose to oppose a declaration of the king's, that person could be accused of treason or insubordination."

Nodding slowly, Renji looked slightly sick as he said in a hushed tone, "So that's why the captain was so jumpy and irritable before their elopement..."

Taking a moment to absorb the information, Rukia asked, "So why was Tsukishima so determined to marry Lady Orihime if he knew that she had promised her hand to another even if it wasn't completely official?"

"Because he hated me."

Fortunately, Rukia had finished all her food, otherwise it would have all gone flying as she jerked in surprise once again at the unexpected intrusion. This time, Ichigo was standing in the doorway with an unreadable expression on his face.

Recovering from his own scare, Renji frowned up at his mentor and asked, "What did you ever do to him?"

Ichigo didn't answer for a time, but seemed to be considering how to answer the question. Finally, he heaved a long, silent sigh as he settled himself next to the doorway and said, "I killed the man he considered to be a combination of a father and older brother figure. Commander Kugo Ginjou."

No one said anything for a time until finally Renji asked, "What happened?"

Again, Ichigo paused before saying, "I overheard the commander, Tsukishima and another man discussing their plan to attack and kill the king during a trip he was taking to a neighboring noble. While I have no idea who the third conspirator was, I learned enough to know that they had hired a group of mercenaries to set up the ambush and then the king would be murdered during all the confusion. Ginjou said he would do his best to stay close enough to the king that he could do the job himself should something go wrong. In reality, Tsukishima was the one who ended up by the king's side in all the fighting and chose not to kill him for whatever reason."

From Yoruichi's expression of disbelief, Rukia was certain this was the first she was hearing the captain's story and that was confirmed when the woman asked indignantly, "Why didn't you go to the king with this story? Or me and then I could have maybe done something?"

Shaking his head, Ichigo replied, "There was no time. It's not like I heard their discussion the previous night or anything. By a complete coincidence, I forgot my horse's blanket and so went back into the stable to fetch it, when I heard their whispered and urgent sounding voices. I decided to listen in on what they were saying. Uryu and Chad were riding in another part of the column, so I couldn't even alert them to what was about to happen."

"But then, why didn't you come forward after the attack?" asked Rukia with a confused frown, "Surely King Tamashi saw how you saved his life."

"King Tamashi saw Tsukishima as the man who stood by his side and defended him from countless mercenaries," answered Ichigo in a slightly sardonic tone, "while I was simply the captain who accidentally killed a higer ranking officer in the heat of battle," then he ran a hand through his hair as he said, "If it weren't for Uryu, Chad and even Commander Aizen swearing that my killing Ginjou was unintentional, I'm sure Tsukishima would have tried to convince the king that I was the one who plotted against the king."

"Not entirely true."

Rukia was getting really tired of people barging into the barn and startling her. As a result, Kisuke was treated to her signature glare for an instant before she composed herself once again and waited for him to explain himself.

Sighing in a long-suffering fashion, Yoruichi muttered, "Good grief. You'd think we were having some sort of party in here."

Smiling benignly at his wife, Kisuke went and sat down next to her before he said to Ichigo, "Tsukishima could have pinned the entire conspiracy on you and you would have been executed for treason."

Holding up a hand, Rukia asked, "Couldn't the captain have defended himself by saying that he overheard Tsukishima and Ginjou actually conspired against the king?"

Shaking his head, Kisuke replied, "You and I know that Captain Kurosaki is a truthful man, but consider things from the king's point of view. Should he believe the man who protected his life or the man who killed friend and foe alike? Also, remember that Tsukishima more than likely had incriminating evidence that he could have planted in order to make sure Ichigo's supposed treason could be proven beyond a doubt.

Returning her attention back to the captain, Rukia asked, "And why would you say that you didn't mean to kill Ginjou? I would have thought you hated the guy after hearing him plotting to kill the king."

Looking Rukia straight in the eye, Ichigo replied matter-of-factly, "I may not have respected Commander Ginjou as a man for what I heard him say, but that doesn't mean I could forget about the honorable things he did for the people as he worked his way up in the king's army. During the skirmish with the mercenaries, Commander Ginjou found me and told me that he had seen me leave the stable before he attacked me. My reaction was to defend myself and when all was said and done, my blade took the commander's life."

Turning back to look at Kisuke, Ichigo asked, "But why do you think Tsukishima didn't want to pin the conspiracy on me and have me executed? I would have died in disgrace."

"And while that would have certainly hurt those close to you," answered Kisuke in an uncharacteristically dark, serious tone, "once you died, Tsukishima would no longer have been able to torture you. He decided instead to go after your heart."

For a moment, Ichigo frowned at Kisuke before understanding dawned on his face. Rukia exchanged a look with Renji and she was fairly certain they were both thinking the same thing.

'What in the world were they going to do now?'

As if reading their thoughts, Kisuke said, "What we do now is find a way to break the spell. And I believe I've figured out how we can do that. Or at least, get Riruka to do it."

 **Author's Note:**

I'm hoping that in the next week or so, I can get this finished up by Ichigo's birthday. Won't be long now. Phew...

Hopefully things are making more sense and pieces are starting to fall into place! If I've missed something that you think is crucial, please don't hesitate to tell me and I'll do my best to fix it! :)


	11. 10: Enchantment and Dancing

Everyone was rendered completely speechless for about a minute until finally Ichigo asked in an incredulous whisper, "How exactly are supposed to convince Riruka to just..." he gestured with his hands in helpless fury before he finished with, "forget about how much she hates Orihime and me make her undo this spell?"

Holding his palms up, Kisuke said, "Hold on there. I didn't say anything about actually talking her into anything. There's not a thing any of us can say to her at this point that would make her undo this spell willingly."

Arching an eyebrow at her husband, Yoruichi said, "In the interest of your own health and safety, dear," she spoke the word with a little acidity in her tone, "I'd recommend you'd quit dancing around what you're actually trying to say. Ichigo's not married to you and hasn't been your business partner for years and years, so I doubt he'll be patient with you much longer."

Looking slightly downcast for a moment, Kisuke sighed deeply before he said, "The entire premise of the spell the Riruka has cast is that one group is only allowed to be human during the daytime while the others are human for the night, therefore neither group can interact with the other."

Again, Kisuke held his hands up before anyone could berate him for stating the obvious and continued with, "Last night, I did a bit of research and there is a natural event that will be taking place in about a week's time that should allow for both groups to be human at the same time. My theory is-"

Renji interrupted Kisuke, asking in a demanding tone, "Wait a minute! What is this natural event and how do you know that all of us could be human at the same time? How is that possible?"

"The event that I'm talking about is a solar eclipse," answered Kisuke in a slightly testy tone after being cut off, "What that means is that in the middle of the day, the moon will pass in front of the sun and cover it almost completely for about six to seven minutes."

Wagging a finger at Renji, Kisuke said, "Also, I never said that I know for certainty that during this eclipse all of you will be human. It is simply a theory that I have."

"But, more than likely, a theory that will prove to be correct," said Ichigo, "I've never come across one that hasn't turned out like he said it would."

"But how does he know that we'd all become human?" asked Renji in a tone of disbelief.

Taking over the narrative again, Kisuke said, "Because spells of any kind have to adhere to certain rules, even the kind of taboo spell that Riruka cast over all of you. Actually, especially this spell that Riruka cast over all of you because of what she had to do to make it so."

"What would she have had to do?" Rukia asked half in fascination, half in fear.

His face and tone taking on that same deadly quality as before, Kisuke answered, "In order for Riruka to cast a spell of this magnitude, she would need to tap into her own life-force in order to make it work initially and then instill more magic in order to make it sustainable on its own. More than likely, after she successfully cast the spell, Riruka needed rest and recuperate for at least a year before even attempting any more magic. She will probably never be able to do anything more than light a very small fire after this point since she put so much effort into this one spell."

To Rukia's surprise, Kisuke ignited a small flame on the end of his finger as he explained, "Magic is not an all-powerful and completely renewable force like a lot of people think. Those who have the ability to use magic are taught to control it and use it very sparingly because while magic can be replenished somewhat with rest and refraining from using it for a time, the more you use it and the more powerful spells you perform, the quicker you will deplete your power until you have nothing left. And once that happens, your life is over."

"You mean they die?" asked Rukia in a horrified whisper.

Shaking his head, Kisuke replied, "Not in the literal sense, no. A magic-user can live after their magic is gone, but I mean that their life as they know it will never be the same. Think of it like losing a limb...or more accurately, imagine more than half your soul just ceasing to exist one day. See what I mean?"

"I guess so..." answered Rukia hesitantly.

Continuing on with his commentary, Kisuke said, "Well anyway, like I said Riruka's spell has both groups divided by day and night and was very specific. So specific in fact that I think during the solar eclipse because it will technically be daytime while at the same time nearly as dark as night, all of you will revert to your true forms."

Following Rukia's lead and raising his hand to alert Kisuke to his upcoming question, Renji asked, "But isn't it just as likely that all of us could turn into animals instead of humans?"

Grinning at Renji's logic, Kisuke nodded and replied, "While that is a possibility, I would say that if anything, that scenario has the least chance of actually happening."

Holding up a hand to halt Renji's anticipated protest, Kisuke said, "Reason being that even though the spell forces all of you to shift shapes every morning or evening without exception, your bodies are being forced to do that. That is why spells on living beings are considered taboo, because it messes with the natural order of things. The magic-user will have to use some of their own life-force in order to force the living things to bend to their will."

Tapping an excited yet impatient tattoo with his fingers, Kisuke said hastily, "If this eclipse is going to work the way I think it will, then Orihime, Uryu and Tatsuki's bodies will get a kind of boost to shift back into their original forms for the duration of the eclipse. That is our one and only chance to undo this spell without needing Riruka's express permission."

"How so?" inquired Ichigo in a tone that Rukia could only describe as being mostly skeptical with a hint of hope.

Leaning forward slightly, Kisuke said, "My theory is that if all of you whom Riruka placed the spell over were to make her look at you all by standing in front of her in your true forms, such a contradiction would break the power of the spell she cast. This solar eclipse is your best hope of breaking this spell."

For what seemed like an age, Ichigo sat there staring at the floor in front of him until he finally rose to his feet and said, "I see," before heading for the door.

Before he left, Ichigo paused next to Chad, who had come in at some point while they had been talking, and stood next to his friend for a moment or two. Chad's response was to grip Ichigo's shoulder with a kind of rumbling grunt deep in his throat. Ichigo must have understood because Rukia was fairly certain she heard the captain give a kind of soft bark of a chuckle before walking out the door. Orihime, who was still nestled safely in Chad's other huge hand, watched Ichigo leave and let out a faint screech almost as if she was pleading to go with him.

Tenderly stroking Orihime's feathers, Chad crooned in an almost indiscernible tone, "It's all right. He just needs a moment to think. Don't worry about him," and she calmed down obediently yet Rukia thought almost reluctantly.

Looking back over at Yoruichi, Rukia asked slowly, "So, can we pick up where we left off, please?"

Yoruichi's eyebrows drew together in confusion for a moment before she gave a small smile and said, "Ah, yes. Where were we again?"

Eagerly jumping in, Renji answered, "Lady Matsumoto-Ichimaru had just told you that she planned to use her methods on Ichigo and Orihime."

Frowning, Rukia said, "I'm still not seeing how Riruka went from not knowing or caring who Captain Kurosaki was to being so obsessed with him that she just about killed herself casting a spell on him after he married Lady Orihime."

Heaving a long, silent sigh, Yoruichi replied, "Rangiku."

When both Renji and Rukia gave her blank stares, Yoruichi grinned rather sardonically before returning to her earlier narrative.

 _After dinner was over, the time had finally come for all the young people to be formerly introduced to one another so they could enjoy the second part of the evenings festivities. Once again, Ichigo made a beeline for Orihime and for the second time Rangiku came alongside both of them, this time with Riruka in tow._

 _With a smile that was slightly strained, Ichigo bowed and said formally, "Lady Matsumoto-Ichimaru."_

 _Flitting her hand in the air, Rangiku replied in a breezy tone, "Oh, please just call me Lady Rangiku. My married name, while very distinguished, is quite a mouthful. Makes me tired just hearing others say it."_

 _Before Ichigo could say anything, Rangiku forged ahead, saying, "I would like to introduce you to Lady Riruka Dokugamine, one of Lady Orihime's fellow trainees."_

 _Forcing his grin to widen slightly, Ichigo politely took Riruka's limp, proffered hand and said, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Dokugamine."_

 _"Lady Riruka," said Rangiku, finishing the introductions, "may I present the honorable Viscount Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm sure such a handsome soldier will make a fine addition to our troops."_

 _Inclining her head, Riruka said in a rather uniterested tone, "I have no doubt of that."_

 _Just then, the royal musicians began playing the fanfare to let everyone know that the dancing was about to begin, so they should all move away from the middle of the room._

 _Clapping her hands, Rangiku exclaimed, "At last, the dancing is about to begin! The best part of any festivity around here, don't you think?"_

 _Since none of the three young people knew whom Rangiku was addressing, they all looked at her blankly as she went on with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "I know just the thing! Viscount, the first dance is never usually a very long one since the musicians want everyone to limber up before playing the really complicated dances, so why don't you partner with Lady Riruka for the first dance before asking Lady Orihime for one a little bit later?"_

 _"An excellent suggestion," said one of the soldiers who had been riding alongside Ichigo earlier and who had just come up to join the little group along with Ichigo's other apparent friend, "Before you do that, though, why don't you take a moment and introduce us to your attractive acquaintances."_

 _Giving the other young man a withering look, Ichigo nevertheless gestured and said formally, "Lady Inoue, Lady Dokugamine and Lady Matsumoto-Ichimaru," the last one he spoke with just a hint of coolness in his tone, "may I introduce my comrades-in-arms and sometimes friends, Lieutenants Uryu Ishida and Chad Yasutora."_

 _Taking just enough time to bow as etiquette dictated, Uryu remained slightly bent as he looked up at Orihime, held out his hand and asked, "May I take this opportunity to ask you to be my partner for the first dance?"_

 _Hesitating and chewing on her lip, Orihime then composed herself enough to give Uryu a small, gracious smile as she nodded and said in a tone that managed to disguise her disappointment, "Yes. I would be honored."_

 _As she placed her hand in Uryu's, Orihime seemed to be making a distinct effort not to look over at Ichigo. For his part, Ichigo's mouth was gaping open in utter disbelief over this turn of events. Rangiku couldn't have looked more delighted if she herself had planned the whole thing with Uryu arriving and asking to be Orihime's dance partner._

 _Tearing his gaze away from the couple walking out to the dance floor, Ichigo looked down at Riruka and decided that even if he didn't particularly like Rangiku's methods, it couldn't hurt to offer to dance with this young woman he had only just met. Although, he'd be lying to himself if he thought that part of his mind thought that there was a good possibility that she would refuse his offer. He could be wrong, but Riruka struck him as the standoffish, prideful type and if that was the case, he wasn't particularly interested in getting to know her very well._

 _Bowing slightly, Ichigo held out his hand and asked, "Would you consent to be my dance partner?"_

 _Slowly, Riruka looked him over and Ichigo wasn't quite sure what she was looking for, but her gaze made his skin tingle. Finally, she gave a slight nod and placed her hand in Ichigo's. Her skin may have been warm, but Ichigo was struck by the thought that Riruka's touch did not hold any warmth unlike...Next thing he knew, Ichigo was glaring daggers as he looked over to where Uryu was and saw how his and Orihime's hands were interlocked._

 _Wrenching his gaze away, Ichigo refocused his attention on his current dance partner and tried to keep encroaching thoughts of Orihime out of his mind. However, like being told not to think of an elephant, the more he tried to bar such thoughts, the more those same thoughts kept shoving their way to the front. That is, until Riruka gave him something else to focus on as he mechanically went through the motions of the dance: small talk. Or, at least, her version of it._

 _"So where are you from, Viscount Kurosaki?"_

 _Blinking a couple of times as he realized he had been asked a question, Ichigo responded, "I'm from the region of Kuroi Taiyo. My family and I live in Castle Tensho Tensa."_

 _Nodding her head slowly, Riruka asked, "Does your family have any other holdings?"_

 _Shrugging his shoulders, Ichigo replied, "I wouldn't say that we own it, but within our grounds in a town called Karakura. We also own a bit of land surrounding the castle."_

 _"I see," said Riruka before she inquired, "And what does your family do for revenue?"_

 _"We have a lot of farmers who work our land in exchange for taking a percentage for their own families," answered Ichigo truthfully, "We also have highly skilled blacksmiths in our employ who supply a lot of the armory and weapons for the king's troops. I trained under the best of those before I joined the army myself."_

 _Arching an elegant eyebrow, Riruka said, "Indeed," then under her breath she said, "Most satisfactory, indeed."_

 _Deciding that it would probably be best to change tactics now before he got suspicious, Riruka asked, "So, are there any questions you'd like to ask me?"_

 _Once again blinking at her in slight confusion, Ichigo finally answered with, "Um, why don't you tell me where you're from then."_

 _"Very well," replied Riruka with a slight smile, "I hail from the Ai Jikko region and my family's main source of revenue is creating toys, trinkets and keepsakes. Cute things for any and all occasions."_

 _Frowning slightly, Ichigo said, "I see. I didn't know such a trade existed."_

 _Her smile looking slightly forced, Riruka said casually, "Oh, that's because we only started creating such high quality items in the last five years. When I become an official lady-in-waiting, I also plan to hire skilled craftsman to create exclusive, elegant and expensive jewelry and such that will be worn by court members and possibly even royalty."_

 _"I see," repeated Ichigo, not knowing how else he could respond before he asked, "And how long have you known Lady Inoue?"_

 _"About a year now, I suppose," Riruka said before inquiring diplomatically, "And how long have you and Lady Inoue been friends?"_

 _Ichigo thought for a moment before he said, "I've known her about seven years, I guess...yep, seven years. I met Orihime when she and her brother, Sora, moved into Kinnotate Castle which is about three miles from Castle Tensho Tensa. We were both ten at the time."_

 _"I see," said Riruka blandly._

 _As for Uryu and Orihime, their conversation while dancing was a lot less formal and far more relaxed. Even if it hadn't necessarily started out that way._

 _To start things off, Uryu said, "To be honest, we've met once before, but I don't expect you to remember me."_

 _Immediately, Orihime looked up at him in a near-panicked state until she seemed to recognize him and said, "Oh yes, of course. You were part of the escort I had when I was first brought to court. You came with your father, Commander Ishida."_

 _Giving her a slight yet warm grin, Uryu replied, "I stand corrected. You have an excellent memory, Lady Inoue."_

 _Cheeks turning slightly pink, Orihime said, "Please, call me Orihime. And I'm sorry I didn't recognize you sooner, it's just that I...I was rather distracted at the time."_

 _"No need to explain," said Uryu as he deftly avoided a more idiotic, giggling pair who had been about to crash into them, "I have heard quite a bit about you over the last year from others at Castle Tensho Tensa."_

 _When Orihime frowned up at him in a perplexed manner, Uryu explained, "After my father and I escorted you here, we were invited back to Castle Tensho Tensa in order to begin training the new recruits for the king's army. Lord and Lady Kurosaki had graciously accepted King Tamashi's commission for them to host all the troops while they went through training over the last year."_

 _"And what did you think of Castle Tensho Tensa?" asked Orihime in almost breathless anticipation._

 _Shrugging, Uryu said in mock carelessness, "I couldn't find any fault with it, but then again, since I have only really known a soldier's life up until now, I wouldn't really have anything adequate to compare it with."_

 _Chuckling at Orihime's flabbergasted expression, Uryu said in a more serious tone, "What I said just now is a partial truth. I may only have the rough life of a soldier to compare it to, but should I ever be fortunate enough to earn a title and a plot of land to go with it, I should have nothing left to wish for if it were half so nice and cared for as Tensho Tensa."_

 _"Oh, well...I see," said Orihime in an effort to say something polite, "The castle is very nice to look at."_

 _"Orihime," Uryu said slowly and with his grin returning, "I hope you understand that I was referring more to the people within the castle and lands rather than the structure itself. Like my grandfather used to say, 'A building is only as strong as the people who work to make it so'."_

 _"Oh, I see," replied Orihime with a smile of her own, "I'm so glad to hear you say that. It really is the most wonderful place in all the kingdom," she ducked her head and said in a whisper, "Or at least I think so."_

 _Looking back up at Uryu, Orihime said rather hesitantly, "So, I'm guessing that there was quite a crowd gathered when all the troops took their leave."_

 _"That is correct," Uryu said and then added, "And everyone was there to see us off. Yuzu cried when she said good-bye to Ichigo, but I was rather surprised when Lord Kurosaki actually managed to talk to his son in a rather serious way about how proud he was of him."_

 _Giggling softly, Orihime said, "Oh Lord Kursoaki. He is such a dear."_

 _Covering his laughter at Orihime's comment with a cough, Uryu went on with, "Lady Kurosaki was kind enough to present all us lieutenants with new capes decorated with our family crest or the royal crest if we didn't have one," then he added with a twinkle in his eye, "And you'll never guess who helped her with all that embroidery."_

 _"Who?!" demanded Orihime anxiously._

 _Uryu paused for dramatic effect and enjoyed Orihime's eyes getting wider plus her face flushing in anticipation before he finally said, "Tatsuki and Karin."_

 _Unable to keep herself from gasping, Orihime's face turned uncontrollably red for a few seconds when a few couples dancing nearby gave her curious looks. However, she quickly ignored them and pressed Uryu instead._

 _"But they've always hated embroidery," said Orihime in shock, "Lady Kurosaki would have to bribe them with promises of being allowed to truly hunt with the hunting parties or things like that before they would even consider looking at a needle and thread."_

 _"Well," replied Uryu with a smirk, "we recruits were training, Lady Kurosaki struck a bargain with them. They would practice their embroidery skills by making something practical for the troops. They would be allowed to spar with the other soldiers, be taught how to make one's own repairs on weapons and armor or learn to wield a spear in two hour increments for every garment that they finished and that Lady Kurosaki approved as being good quality work."_

 _"Amazing," replied Orihime in awe._

 _"Yes, it was rather," said Uryu with a chuckle, "At the rate they were going, I was rather surprised when they didn't make one for every single member of the king's army. Although, I believe there was one cloak in particular that Tatsuki wanted to make sure she got absolutely perfect."_

 _Before Orihime could ask, the final strains of the song were played and they needed to now go through the motions of dismissing the other properly as a dance partner. Feeling a warm sensation flow along her rib cage, Orihime sensed that Ichigo was now looking at her intensely. Part of her hoped that he was waiting anxiously for the chance to ask her for the next dance, but Orihime quickly pushed that thought aside thinking to herself that Ichigo wasn't like that. Actually, she wasn't far from the truth._

 _Ichigo had decided to give Orihime a chance to take a break before asking her to dance the third dance with him. This way he could spend some time just talking with her and passing along all those messages he had mentioned earlier. Then, while they were dancing, he could talk with her about more private matters. While he was positive that Orihime's personality had not completely changed in the year she had been at court, it was evident that she had matured in that time just like he had. Her heart was probably essentially...no, it was definitely the same, but he wanted to become reacquainted with it, nevertheless._

 _Remembering his current partner, Ichigo bowed and said, "Thank you, Lady Dokugamine, for allowing me to be your dance partner."_

 _Inclining her head, Riruka replied, "Not at all," then as she walked away, she added under her breath, "We shall become better acquainted soon enough."_

 _Even though Ichigo had an idea to allow Orihime time to rest, Rangiku apparently had other plans. Before Uryu could escort Orihime beyond the outskirts of the improvised dance floor, the older woman swooped down and hastily introduced Orihime to a young man she had in tow. When all was said and done, Orihime was once again pressed to accept a dance invitation, only this time from someone neither she nor Ichigo knew very well. Also, Orihime again refused to look over in Ichigo's direction for fear of what she knew she'd see in his eyes._

 _"I'd pick your jaw up from the floor if I were you."_

 _Whirling around, Ichigo shot a furious glare at Uryu, who had returned and now stood next to Chad. The smirk on the young man's face was annoying, but at the moment Ichigo had a different bone to pick with his friend._

 _Whispering furiously, Ichigo demanded, "What were you thinking?! Why couldn't you lead her away from that woman when you saw what she was about to do?! Who is that guy anyway?"_

 _Arching his eyebrow rather haughtily, Uryu responded flatly, "I didn't realize that you were so possessive of your fiancee that the sight of her enjoying a brief dance with anyone other than you would make you so insanely jealous."_

 _"I...I am not being possessive!" replied Ichigo defensively, "And I'm not being insanely jealous because Orihime dancing with someone else other than me! I just don't understand how you could let her dance with someone Lady Whatshername brought over and basically forced on her."_

 _"So you weren't going to ask Orihime to dance with you this time around?" asked Uryu in a skeptical tone._

 _"As a matter of fact," Ichigo said in a wry tone, "I was going to let Orihime sit this one and maybe the next one if she wanted, giving us a little bit of time to talk and catch up."_

 _Leaning back and saying in a conspiratorial whisper that wasn't meant to be very quiet, "You'll notice, Chad, that he never denied the fact that Orihime was his fiancee. After all this time, we finally got the truth out of him."_

 _For her part, Orihime tried to be as polite as possible with her new dance partner, who had been introduced to her as Lieutenant Omaeda Marechiyo. While Riruka had at least tried not to be very overt about her true interest in Ichigo, Omaeda made it clear from the get-go that if Orihime proved to be from the right family with an acceptable dowry he would definitely be extremely interested in knowing her better in the near future. After receiving her honest and satisfactory answers, Omaeda was now in the process of highlighting all of his enviable and marketable qualities._

 _"My ancestors were among the first noble families established when our great kingdom was founded," Omaeda began, "We were given such an honor for all the service and support we gave to the very first king. Plus, the king also honored our family by allowing his youngest daughter to marry into our own family. Think of it! My genealogy is linked to that of the king's!"_

 _As best she could, Orihime tried not to wince too conspicuously when Omaeda squashed her foot under his own, but she needn't have worried since he wasn't paying any attention to her as he said, "Our family motto is 'The best sign of wealth and health is being well-rounded'!"_

 _Giving him a small smile to mask the pain she was in, Orihime asked faintly, "Oh, so your education included a bit of everything?"_

 _Laughing heartily, Omaeda once again stomped on her foot without realizing as he answered, "That is true, but the motto actually refers to our husky, solid build. Not just anyone can pull off a physique as manly and healthy as what runs in my family."_

 _"I see," Orihime said as evenly as she could manage while trying to force the tears back behind her eyeballs._

 _Noticing her eyes shimmering and mistaking the meaning, Omaeda stopped in the middle of the dance floor and gripped her hands rapturously as he said intensely, "Oh, Lady Inoue, I can see in your eyes just how these revelations have moved you. Could it possibly be that-"_

 _Omaeda was interrupted when two other couples who were not paying the slightest attention crashed into him and Orihime. Managing to maintain his balance, Omaeda pulled Orihime close to himself to keep her from falling and held her like that until he was sure the danger had passed._

 _Glaring about him, Omaeda growled at the other two couples, "Mind where you're going next time," before leading Orihime through the last few steps of the dance._

 _While Omaeda may have potentially tried to ask Orihime for a second dance, this time Ichigo was there to greet Orihime as she left the dance floor. Ichigo's expression may have been bland, but Omaeda wasn't stupid enough to miss the fire burning in the depths of his fellow lieutenant's eyes and so thanked Orihime for agreeing to dance with him before making a dignified yet rather hasty retreat._

 _Finally looking up at Ichigo, Orihime was just about to speak when Ichigo asked, "Are you all right?"_

 _Orihime smiled in an almost weary way and sighed as she answered quietly, "My foot is throbbing a little bit, but I'm sure I can still dance again in a little bit."_

 _"Wait, what happened to your foot?"_

 _Seeming to realize what exactly she meant, Ichigo was just about to storm after Omaeda with the possible intention of stomping on his foot to demonstrate exactly how excruciating it could be when Orihime gripped his elbow and whispered, "No, Ichigo, please. He didn't do it on purpose and it doesn't hurt so much anymore."_

 _Gritting his teeth, Ichigo laid a hand over hers and led her to a far corner of the room. When he noticed Orihime doing her best to walk without limping and yet biting the inside of her cheek to hide how much it truly hurt, Ichigo was more than half-tempted to sweep her up in his arms and carry her the rest of the way. Only the realization that such actions would definitely cause a scene and draw unwanted attention to Orihime's distress kept Ichigo from doing just that. Instead, Ichigo shortened his strides and drew his elbow against his rib cage, bringing Orihime closer as well._

 _The rest of the evening, Ichigo remained resolutely by Orihime's side. He made no complaint when Rangiku brought several more young men over to become acquainted with Orihime, but he was Orihime's final dance partner that evening. He didn't claim that priviledge until the sixth dance, by which point he had sufficiently calmed down and had more than enough time to become properly reacquainted with Orihime. For her part, Orihime couldn't have been more delighted._

 _At one point, the torch near them burned down low enough that the couple was engulfed in shadow for a minute or two. When an attendant came by to replace the torch, the two leaned away from each other rather hastily. If anyone had cared to look over at the pair, they would have seen both Ichigo's and Orihime's cheeks looking decidedly pink while drawing their hands into their laps._

 _The kiss had remained chaste and happened on an impulse shared by both of them, but since it had been their very first one..._

Yoruichi smirked at her audience members as she dug her elbow gently into her spouse's side and said, "Well now, you'd think these two had never considered the idea that a hard-head like Ichigo and a ray of sunshine like Orihime had ever done something as romantic as... _kissing."_

Feeling her face flush, Rukia exclaimed defensively, "It's not like that! I was just surprised, that's all."

"Yeah," added Renji just as lamely, "I know that the captain and Lady Orihime can kiss each other. I even saw them do it a couple times."

Realizing his blunder, Renji scooped up Rukia's empty dishes and bolted out of the stable. For her part, Rukia tried to figure out exactly what it was about such an idiot that attracted her so strongly. Perhaps, she thought to herself, there's some truth to the idea that the biggest fools are the easiest to love.

Looking over at Yoruichi and Kisuke grinning, Rukia felt the corners of her lips twitch as she mumbled under her breath, "Well, I guess that means I'm in good company."

 **Author's Note:**

Ok, I know for sure how this is all going to end and hopefully it will not be long now. I can't think of much more backstory that I need to cover, so from here on out, it should be mostly untying the massive ball of tangled matter that I seem to have created. However, if there are any more parts of anyone's backstory that I have neglected to cover, please let me know and I will fix that.


	12. 11: Discussions and Peace

The rest of the day passed fairly uneventfully. Rukia was surprised and slightly terrified when Ururu asked her if she would like to help prepare the evening meal. She agreed and Rukia began to feel more at ease since it was Ururu as well as Tessai in the kitchen teaching her. They were both helpful, patient teachers, but Rukia was most grateful that neither of them would praise her unless they felt that she had really done something well.

When the time came for everyone to transform, this time, Ichigo joined Chad and Renji in the stable. Before he went, however, Ichigo took Orihime from Chad and took her back to the room to lay her down on the bed. No one went in with him, but Rukia guessed that since he took about two minutes before emerging again he had either spent that time 'talking' with her or just holding her while stroking her feathers.

Either way, when Ichigo came back, he seemed a bit more like the captain she had first met: efficient, in charge and with a sense of just how much responsibility that entailed. Now, he was also a bit calmer than at first and Rukia imagined it was because he now had a specific goal to achieve. Sure, keeping everyone alive was the goal the captain had set for himself the past couple of years, but that mission had weighed heavy on him since there had been no way to know how long it may last. Now that he had an idea that things could change in about a week's time, his resolve was fully restored.

A re-transformed Uryu appeared first in the large front room and said, "Good evening everyone. Tatsuki and I got Ichigo's note and she went to check on Orihime, help her...you know and also to see if she was up to maybe joining us out here to hear all the details."

Shrugging his shoulders, Kisuke looked over at Tessai and said, "You're the expert. If you think it's all right to move her again so soon, then we will help you."

Tessai nodded and followed Uryu back down the hallway. A few minutes passed before the whole group re-emerged with Orihime sitting on Tessai and Uryu's interlocked hands that were forming a kind of sling. She was pale and looked rather weary, but her eyes were alert and her expression was something like anxious hope.

As soon as they heard the group coming down the hall, Yoruichi and Ururu had begun arranging several cushions on the couch so that Orihime would be propped up yet allowed to recline comfortably. When she saw their handiwork, Orihime smiled at them gratefully as Tessai and Uryu gently set her down. Tatsuki took up a position next to the couch where she could lean against one of the pillars and after a few moments of hesitation, Rukia went over and sat on the floor to lean against the couch near Orihime's elbow. Pleasant chills ran up Rukia's spine when Orihime's fingers began to gently stroke through Rukia's hair and massage the back of her head and neck.

Kisuke went through his theory about the solar eclipse, only this time, no one interrupted him asking for explanations. When he was finished, Tatsuki asked a couple of questions to clarify a few points (one was the same question Renji had asked about why Kisuke was so convinced they would all revert to their human form) and then Orihime spoke up for the first time.

"What did Ichigo say?"

"Actually," replied Kisuke as he spread his palms out, "Ichigo really didn't say anything. He was extremely skeptical at first and asked a few questions. Afterward, all he said before he left was 'I see'."

"I see," said Orihime before she giggled and said, "Oh dear. I just repeated what he said."

Grinning briefly, Kisuke then said in a more serious tone, "I'm not sure about this, but I think Ichigo wants to go forward with this plan, but he has a few misgivings."

"What are those?" asked Tatsuki.

"First, Tessai made him promise that you wouldn't be moved for at least a week," answered Kisuke, "If we are to confront Riruka on the solar eclipse, however, we will have to start travelling for the Soul Society Army Headquarters within the next day or so if we are going to have a hope of making it in time."

Raising a hand, Rukia waited for Kisuke to look at her before she asked, "Um, why are we still going to the army headquarters? Wasn't Riruka supposed to be training to become a lady-in-waiting or something?"

"Correct," Yoruichi answered in her husband's place, "but not long after Ichigo and the others rose to the rank of 'captain', she was enlisted by Tsukishima to become a mage in his company. My guess is she thought that such a position would bring her closer to Ichigo and maybe give her a chance to win him over."

Frowning, Rukia said, "I had no idea there were mages in our army. How come I haven't heard this before?"

"Well," answered Kisuke, "probably because there really aren't that many of us. Due to the nature of how we do what we do and the high risks involved, if anyone wants to enlist our services, we can charge them almost exorbitant amounts of money. Very few people in the army could afford to hire us. Tsukishima just so happened to be one of those few.

"Also, those who do have a magic-user in their ranks keep them very well hidden, even sometimes from the rest of the soldiers. They are a kind of secret weapon to be used very sparingly for some of the very reasons we've already talked about earlier. Also, most of those taboos on magic were put in place due to what some commanders forced their magic-users to do years ago."

"Still," asked Rukia, "how could Riruka go from wanting to start up a frivolous trade involving jewelry and toys to becoming a magic-user? Isn't magic something you're born with or without?"

Folding his hands, Kisuke replied, "That is correct. Magic is hereditary and Riruka's family has strong magic flowing throughout their lineage. Again, it was probably due to her desire for Ichigo that she turned from etiquette to spells."

Clicking her tongue, Tatsuki muttered under her breath, "Stupid girl. As if learning magic would help her win over that moron even if he hadn't already-"

"Tatsuki," said Orihime quietly yet firmly, "please don't talk about her like that."

"Why not?" retorted Tatsuki rather impatiently, "She's the one who did this to us. She's the reason you've been separated from Ichigo, Uryu can't be with Yuzu, none of us have had any contact with our families for fear of them being branded as traitors and I haven't seen..."

Rukia heard and felt Orihime shift slightly and imagined that the lady had turned slightly to look at her friend as she said sympathetically, "I know, Tatsuki. Riruka has done a terrible thing and stolen so much from all of us. However, I can't help but feel sorry for her."

"Why?" asked Rukia in a perplexed tone.

Resuming her ministrations on Rukia's hair, Orihime replied in a sad tone, "Because, while we all have at least one person whom we love dearly and who loves us in return, who does Riruka have? Who has she ever had? I can't say that I'm grateful to her for doing this to us, but I could never hate her either."

Clearing her throat and shifting slightly, Orihime said, "Kisuke, I see what you're saying about Ichigo's misgivings and I think I can guess what else is making him hesitate. Would you please pass along this message from me?"

"Of course," replied Kisuke, "What message would you have me give him?"

"Tell Ichigo that I trust his judgement," said Orihime simply, "And please tell him to remember what I told him the night that I left for the royal palace. What I said is more true now than it was then."

"Said what?" asked Kisuke in a tone of piqued curiosity.

Rukia could hear the smile in Orihime's tone as she replied, "Something that I only ever intend to share with my husband. I'm sure you understand."

"I do," said Kisuke in a rather deflated tone. When he looked over at his wife and saw her giving him an 'I-can't-believe-you-just-did-that' expression, Kisuke looked even more dejected.

Clapping his hands together for attention, Uryu cleared his throat and said, "All right then, now that we have that all straightened out, why don't we start coming up with at least a few strategies so that Ichigo and Chad aren't left with the brunt of the work."

Rising to her feet, Yoruichi said, "Before we do that, I'd say it's high time the three of you were properly fed. Ururu, Rukia, if you'd care to help me."

The two girls immediately moved to help Yoruichi reheat the three portions of dinner that had been set aside for just such a purpose. They had purposefully made a meat and vegetable soup so that Orihime would possibly be able to eat it as well. If it proved to be too much, they had also made a more simple broth with just a few tiny pieces of meat in it for a bit of substance. While Ururu handed bowls to Tatsuki and Uryu, Rukia laid a kind of tray stand over Orihime's lap so that she could try and eat herself.

Smiling brightly, Orihime gently clapped her hands together and said, "Thank you so much. It looks and smells delicious."

Ducking her head, Rukia mumbled, "Hope you like it."

After carefully lifting the first spoonful to her mouth, blowing on it a couple of times and then inserting it into her mouth, Orihime chewed and swallowed before she asked, "Rukia, did you help make this soup?"

Feeling her cheeks start to burn, Rukia only managed a single nod and Orihime responded with, "Ah, so that's what I'm tasting."

When Rukia's expression became dismayed, Orihime laid her spoon back in the bowl and reached for Rukia's hand as she said, "All I meant by that was I can tell how much hard work you and the others put into this meal. I think I can even taste a bit of affection as well."

"It's good," interjected Tatsuki with a slight smirk, "Good thing you had Tessai and the others teaching you, Rukia, otherwise it might have turned out like Orihime's first few disasters."

"Huh?"

Shaking her head, Orihime explained, "What Tatsuki is referring to are my first attempts at cooking. The ideas I had didn't quite turn out the way I had hoped."

"Like I said, they were disasters," said Tatsuki with a shudder, "Pickled onion soup served cold. Cooked lettuce leaves with grated mushrooms and cheese. Ham soaked in honey."

Grinning at her friend, Tatsuki said, "All though, I will admit that Orihime eventually did fix those recipes to make them more than edible with a little help from Yuzu and Lady Kurosaki."

Jumping slightly at the realization, Rukia's gaze flicked over to Uryu as she asked, "What did Lady Orihime meant just now when she talked about you and Yuzu? Isn't Yuzu one of Ichigo's sisters?"

Completely caught unaware, Uryu's bite of food seemed to go down the wrong windpipe as he coughed and spluttered for a bit before finally composing himself enough to wheeze, "Pardon?"

Nearly spewing her own mouthful of soup, Tatsuki's expression became highly amused as she swallowed and then said, "Well, guess the cat's out of the bag now."

After giving Tatsuki a long, hard stare, Uryu cleared his throat and said, "Yes, Yuzu is one of Ichigo's younger sisters. Before all this happened, Yuzu and I were...um, how do I put it?"

"Betrothed?" inquired Rukia.

Uryu looked decidedly flustered as he coughed and said, "No, no, nothing like that...we were..."

"You were Yuzu's suitor, of course," said Tatsuki with an exaggerated eye roll.

"I suppose that would be an adequate description of our...relationship," said Uryu with a slight tint to his cheeks before he went on, "And while we're on the subject of relationships, why don't you enlighten our young friend how someone as rough and wild as you came to be the spouse of our soft-hearted Chad?"

Now Tatsuki's cheeks started to color as she scowled and muttered, "There's nothing to tell."

Feeling like joining in on the fun, Rukia opened her eyes wide and said in her most innocent voice, "But earlier Yoruichi was telling me about how Lady Kurosaki got you and Karin to learn embroidery by decorating cloaks for the captains. She also said that you were particularly anxious to get one just right."

Tapping a finger to her chin, Rukia pursed her lips and frowned slightly as she looked up at the ceiling and asked of no one in particular, "Now, I wonder who the cloak could have possibly been for?"

Staring incredulously at Yoruichi, Tatsuki declared, "You told her that?!"

Folding his arms across his chest, Uryu grinned and said, "Well, I guess I'll tell Rukia mine if you tell her yours."

Scowling in what she must have thought was a ferocious manner, Tatsuki clicked her tongue and scratched the back of her head in an irritated manner as she grumbled, "Okay, fine. But you first."

Looking back over at Rukia, Uryu coughed a couple of times before he said in a matter-of-fact tone, "There's not really a whole lot to tell. I first met Lady Yuzu when I stayed at Tensho Tensa during training and she...well, she was the first young lady I ever met who was just as comfortable assisting her servants and cooks with the daily chores as she was being assisted and served by those same people."

Rukia frowned slightly as she started to ask, "But wasn't Lady Orihime the sa-" before understanding dawned on her and she snapped her fingers as answered herself, saying, "That's right. You only helped escort her to the palace and didn't really meet her until later."

"Right," said Uryu with a grin, "You probably also know that I lived a soldier's life with my father as I was growing up, so I didn't spend a lot of time with other nobles, let alone females."

His grin softened and his became almost fond as he said, "Lady Yuzu with her kindness, generosity, cheerful disposition and so many other qualities gently drew me to her over time. Up until the curse, we corresponded with one another and I had hoped at the time to speak with her parents and my father about their approval on our union when Lady Yuzu came of age."

Clearing his throat again, Uryu's expression drained of all emotion as he said, "Well, after all this time and with me being branded a traitor, it is entirely possible that Lady Yuzu has formed other attachments. It would probably be best for her if she has."

Orihime said with quiet assurance, "Uryu, you don't really believe that."

Directing his gaze towards his bowl, he replied, "In my mind, the scenario is logical, even possible."

"But in your heart," said Orihime softly, "you don't think it to be preferable or even very plausible."

Turning his face aside, Uryu said in a hushed tone, "No...I don't."

More clearly, Uryu said, "Your turn."

Sighing, Tatsuki resumed scratching the back of her head and neck as she said, "Well, I also met Chad when he came to train with Ichigo and the others. He was the only guy I ever knew, besides Ichigo, who would win and lose our fights pretty equally. Never once did he just let me win. Also, he wouldn't sulk or get moody if he did lose. He'd always congratulate me and didn't feel at all self-conscious about asking me to teach him some of my moves and tricks."

Pulling out a necklace from beneath her tunic, Tatsuki fingered the pendant on the end as she said, "I never was one who enjoyed getting flowers, poems or other things like that from the few guys who did try to..." her voice trailed off and she frowned as if trying to come up with an appropriate term or phrase.

"Become your suitor?" supplied Kisuke with a barely suppressed grin.

"Yeah, I guess," said Tatsuki with color rising up her neck once again, "Anyway, when Chad learned that my name came from the word 'dragon' in the ancient language, he carved this for me," and she indicated the pendant on her necklace.

Standing up, Rukia went over to have a closer look. After receiving a nod of approval from Tatsuki, Rukia reached up to take hold of the object that looked as though it had been carved from some sort of stone. It had been smoothed out over time, but Rukia guessed that in the beginning the edges of the figurine had been rather rough and coarse in places. The dragon was about the length of her pinky finger and while the detail work on the teeth and scales was amateurish at best, it had been carefully and painstakingly crafted.

"One day, I got into a fight with a couple trainees after I heard them talking crudely about Lady Kurosaki, Yuzu and other females they knew or had heard of," Tatsuki went on as she allowed Rukia to continue examining the pendant, "When I told them to shut their filthy pie holes, they turned their taunts on me. Not like I hadn't known what people thought of me and the way I dressed and acted all my life, but to actually have those things said to my face, I snapped and started whaling on them."

Tatsuki paused for a moment before she said, "Chad came on the scene and managed to get between me and the guy I was currently pounding. My temper flared up and I started yelling at him, telling him to mind his own business and that I could take care of myself. He looked like he was about to step away when the guy made a rude comment about Chad being a dog and how I was Chad's tramp mistress plus a few other things.

"For a minute, Chad didn't do anything, then his grip on the guy's shirt tightened and Chad lifted him up until they were eye-level with each other. After giving him a long stare, Chad said that the next time he heard any similar comments from him or any of his friends, the guy had better be prepared for the consequences.

"When they had all retreated, Chad turned to me and said that if his help offended me, then he would be sure never to step in again when I fought. He then said that while he was sorry, he wanted me to know that he had stepped in not because he thought I couldn't handle myself in a fight, but because it wasn't in his nature to just watch someone he cared deeply about fight on their own, especially when they were outnumbered."

Clearing her throat, Tatsuki said quietly, "I'll never forget the look in his eyes. It did remind me strongly of a dog who has just been unfairly rebuked for something. Then," she said with a slight blush, "I told him that I was sorry for what I had said and before I knew what I was doing, I had my arms around him.

"Up until then, I had respected him as a worthy opponent. That day, however, I started to see and respect him as a person and as a man," shrugging her shoulders, Tatsuki finished with, "Not really much of a love story, is it?"

"If compared to some, I suppose not," said Orihime with a smile, "But it is your own story and you are happy with it, aren't you?"

Returning Orihime's smile, Tatsuki replied, "Yeah, I am."

"Then that's all that matters," Yoruichi said before she clapped her hands officiously, saying, "Finish up so Ururu and Rukia can finish up the dishes before they head to bed."

Seeming to sense that Rukia was about to protest, Yoruichi arched an eyebrow and said, "If a certain someone expects to be of any use to those here who are under a certain curse, then that certain someone needs to take proper care of themselves."

Closing her mouth, Rukia gave a grudging nod of assent to Yoruichi's words. After she did so, Rukia was struck by the thought that only a few days ago had someone tried to speak to her the way Yoruichi just had, she would have laughed scornfully in their faces and told them that she would listen when Hell froze over. Now, she was willing not only to hear the directive, but also to actually follow it because Rukia knew that while Yoruichi was correct in what she said, Yoruichi also said it because she cared. To think that she, Rukia, a thief, vagrant and street rat had fallen in with these people who saw and acknowledged her past, but then chose to focus on her as an actual person with feelings and positive qualities...

"Is something wrong, Rukia?" asked Orihime gently.

Giving herself a mental and physical shake, Rukia answered hastily, "No, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about something."

Looking at Orihime's empty bowl sitting on the tray, Rukia stepped forward to take it from her. Orihime responded by saying, "Thank you, Rukia. It's very kind of you," to which Rukia answered with a nod and grin.

After this exchange, Orihime turned her attention back to Kisuke and asked, "Is there anything else we need to discuss before morning?"

Shaking his head, Kisuke spread his hands expressively, "Nothing that I can think of, my lady."

Turning her gaze on Tessai and Uryu, Orihime asked rather hesitantly, "Would it be too much if I..." and when she trailed off, the two men smiled at her knowingly before going over to carefully carry her back to bed. Before they took her down the hall, Orihime and Tatsuki had a nonverbal conversation after which Tatsuki headed for the stable. A minute later, she was back with all three transformed males trotting along behind her.

Hooting and gamboling over to Rukia's side, Renji playfully pulled at her clothes and made faces at her until she finished with the dishes. When she was done, Renji took her dainty hand in his baboon one and he led her down the hall after the others. For her part, Rukia was too stunned to protest and so allowed the creature to do as he wished.

In the room, Orihime was stretched out on the bed with Ichigo. This time, rather than lying next to her feet, Orihime had been placed far enough in the middle of the bed that Ichigo could stretch out next to her and she could soothingly stroke his neck and head. Tatsuki was sitting on her pallet also stroking her transformed husband's head as it lay in her lap. Pulling Rukia into the room, Renji walked over to the bed and hooted at Ichigo a few times and even pulled a face. The wolf's ears twitched slightly and he huffed, but otherwise he paid no attention to the baboon's antics.

Baring his teeth in a cheeky grin at the wolf, Renji then let go of Rukia's hand to carefully climb onto the bed and make his way to the jutting window ledge. Since the bed was flush against the wall, from where he sat on the ledge, Renji could touch the bed, but he wouldn't disturb the bed's occupants with his moving about. Once he was comfortable, Renji then hooted and tilted his head at Rukia as if asking her if she would please join him. Swallowing down the heart shaped lump in her throat (oh, what a ridiculous image that thought conjured up in her mind), Rukia gingerly did as she was bidden. Clapping his hands delightedly, Renji picked up where he had left off the night before with grooming her hair. Actually, this time, rather than inspecting for bugs, he seemed to be petting and stroking her hair affectionately and even possibly trying to give her head a sort of massage. The idea made Rukia's slightly pink flushed cheeks to become full-fledged crimson.

The room was peace-filled, but Rukia's mind was too full of racing thoughts to allow herself to sleep. Seeming to understand the girl's dilemma, Orihime began to hum quietly in time with her strokes on Ichigo's head.

"What's that?" asked Rukia after a bit.

Looking over at Rukia, Orihime answered, "A song I learned from one of my old nannies. Used to help me fall asleep," then she paused a moment before asking, "Would you care to hear it?"

Settling herself down, Rukia grinned in understanding and said, "Please."

Returning her grin, Orihime resumed humming for another two phrases before she began to sing quietly.

 _On nights we can't sleep and we hear the rain's melody,_

 _Let's head out to see the future, swaying to and fro on a boat of clouds._

 _Though not a star can be seen, a bridge extends through the sky;_

 _It's said on days like this, a phantom rainbow can be seen for just an instant._

 _Ah, Dear Night Rainbow, hold tight to our bad dreams,_

 _So that our destination will fill with light and shine bright,_

 _Dear Night Rainbow._

 _If we can cross the bridge the Night Rain silently passes,_

 _I'm sure we can proceed on from here._

 _The Dear Night Rainbow will surely manage to catch our dreams,_

 _So let's spread our wings and fly freely,_

 _High into the sky we gaze upon._

 _Ah, Dear Night Rainbow, hold tight to our bad dreams,_

 _So that our destination will fill with light and shine bright,_

 _Dear Night Rainbow._

Even though Rukia's eyelids had slid shut and her breathing evened out by the time Orihime was singing about the 'Night Rain', Orihime continued to the end of her song. For the second night in a row, Rukia slept soundly.

Touching her fingers to her lips, Orihime then placed them gently on Rukia's head as she whispered to Renji, "Thank you for watching over her," to which Renji responded with a broad grin.

Snorting quietly, Tatsuki shook her head as she said just above a whisper, "A fine flock of fools we are."

Smiling sleepily at her friend, Orihime yawned and said, "I suppose that's one way of looking at things," before drifting off to sleep as well.

 **Author's Note:**

Sooo...here's my thoughts for Orihime's cooking. I am a big believer in not making Orihime's food 'toxic' or 'life-threatening' like others have done. So, what I did for Orihime first ideas at cooking was for her to have an idea, but just not execute it very well. Her first dish was a version of gazpacho (it is a soup that is meant to be served chilled). The second I have never tried personally, but I have seen people grill or roast lettuce/romaine before, so I'm pretty sure people find it to be tasty. And finally, I know people like honey-roasted ham and whatnot, but my thought was that Orihime took a slice of ham and cooked it in a pan with an entire jar of honey or something. Hopefully that helps out there if there was any confusion.

If you would like to find out what Orihime said to Ichigo when they parted, then you will have to check out my 'Tanabata' chapter in my story entitled 'Ichihime Week 3'. I know, original title, right? :)

The song Orihime sang is entitled 'Dear Night Rainbow' and it is from the anime 'Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin'. It is sung by a guy originally, but I thought the tune and the lyrics themselves seemed to fit nicely with what I was doing.

I think I covered just about everything, but like always, if you are confused about anything, you think a certain part of the backstory is still missing that needs to be added for better clarity or flow, or just anything else you can think of, please don't hesitate to let me know. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!


	13. 12: Loyalty and Gratitude

Two days later, Ichigo and his companions set out from the Urahara hideout/home along with Kisuke and Yoruichi while Tessai stayed behind with Jinta and Ururu. Initially, Jinta had protested saying that if kids like Renji and Rukia were allowed to go he should be able to go as well, until Yoruichi took him aside and gave him a stern talking-to. Afterward, he stalked off and sulked on his own for a time, but he made no further arguments about the arrangements.

As the group set out, two figures who were keeping watch from one of the ridges swiftly and silently made their way to a camp that was positioned about two miles away. Entering the largest tent, the two saluted and then waited until they were given permission to speak.

"Anything of interest to report?" asked Commander Aizen.

Inclining his head with a grin, Captain Gin Ichimaru answered, "They all left early this morning. Even including our long lost friend."

"I thought as much," said the commander as he returned his attention to the map before him, "And they were eastbound, correct?"

"Yes, sir," replied Gin without a hint of the surprise clearly evident on the other captain's face.

"How did you know they would be going east, sir?" asked Captain Momo Hinamori.

Smiling indulgently at the young woman, who also happened to be a magic-user in his employ (the rank of 'captain' had not been given to her frivolously as she was capable, but it was also something of a diverting tactic so that she could remain close to him without raising suspicions), Aizen placed his finger next to a certain part of the map and replied, "Because I know where they intend to go. And I intend to be there in order to help welcome them, so please give the order for everyone to strike camp."

Seeing that Momo had another question she was longing to ask, Aizen decided to indulge and further impress her by saying, "You may ask your question first, my dear."

Giving him an awe-filled yet highly curious expression, Momo asked, "Sir, Captain Kurosaki has been branded as a traitor by the king himself, so why would he be going to the army headquarters? It's completely insane."

"On the surface it may look that way," replied Aizen with a shrug, "but there are a few things you need to be aware of."

Holding up his fingers as he counted down each point, Aizen said, "First of all, because Soul Society Army Headquarters is so heavily guarded and nearly impossible to break into, no one believes that Captain Kurosaki would actually attempt something so ludicrous so they will be taken unawares when he actually does show up. Second, the captain is no fool and he is very aware of the structure's strengths and weaknesses. He has come up with a way to get inside that no one has thought of before, or he wouldn't be making his move."

Pausing, Aizen was pleased when Momo nodded before blinking and asked, "And the final thing?"

Straightening himself up to his full height, Aizen replied, "Finally, he has no other choice," before giving her and Gin and dismissive nod. Without another word, the two saluted the commander again before heading out of the tent to carry out their orders.

Striding over to the side of the tent facing the east, Aizen laced his fingers together behind his back as a slow grin spread over his face and he said to himself, "Excellent. Now, let's hope Ichigo doesn't disappoint me..."

* * *

As they traveled during the day, Ichigo and the other adults were on high alert and they pushed the horses as quickly as they dared to cover as much ground as possible. At night, Uryu and Tatsuki took longer watch shifts to allow Yoruichi and Kisuke time to recuperate, however, it wasn't uncommon for Yoruichi to stay up half the night and help them.

While Orihime did her best to move about on her own, it was evident to everyone that she was drained and in lots of pain still. There were two times when Orihime overexerted herself to the point that she tore open the wound, but fortunately both times they were quick to stop the bleeding.

The second time it happened, Tatsuki gritted her teeth and said, "This is stupid. You should have stayed behind with Tessai. You're not strong enough yet."

Laying a hand over her friend's, Orihime replied in a whisper soft, tired tone, "You're right. I'm not strong enough on my own and I'm sorry that you and the others have to-"

Shaking her head emphatically, Tatsuki said firmly, "Don't apologize. I'm sorry for what I said. It was nerves and irritation, but I still shouldn't have said it. We've all got more than enough to deal with right now, I don't need to go adding to it."

For Rukia, the closer they got to the headquarters the more difficult it was for her to keep herself from throwing up when she ate out of anxiety. When they had been going over the plan, while no one had said it outright, Rukia knew that the success of the entire operation was resting on her shoulders. If something happened and either she couldn't find a way in or she did but she didn't make it in time to let the others in or she got caught or any other number of possibilities, then it didn't matter how well thought-out the plan was, everything would fall apart because of her.

On the fifth night, Yoruichi took Rukia off to the side, crossed her arms and said flatly, "Out with it. What's been eating you lately?"

Gesturing with her hands for a few moments while she tried to collect her thoughts, Rukia finally blurted out, "I don't know if I can do it. What if I get caught or stuck and can't open the gate in time? I've never done something like this before and part of me is sure that I'm going to make a big mistake and everyone else is going to suffer for it."

Crossing her arms across her chest, Yoruichi paused for a moment or two before responding with, "You're not wrong, there is a lot riding on you with this plan. I know that all of us, Orihime especially, have been trying to come up with some other way for this to work, but unfortunately, you are our best chance of getting inside. So now you have a few choices in front of you."

Tilting her head to one side, Yoruichi held up her fingers as she said, "First choice is you let all this pressure build up and weigh you down to the point where your worst fears do come true. Your second choice is just about the same thing I told you before."

When Rukia frowned at her in confusion, Yoruichi explained, "You acknowledge the fact that it is possible for something to go wrong and you move on. Remember in the back of your mind that the plan is risky, but don't dwell on it. That's about the best advice I can give you."

Nodding slowly, Rukia gave Yoruichi a half-hearted grin as she said, "Ok." It wasn't that she didn't agree with what Yoruichi had just said. She just needed time to absorb it.

All too soon, it was the night before the solar eclipse. They had stopped beneath a ridge that Kisuke had told them about, but no one took out any more than a blanket to sleep on and a bit of food. No fire was lit, so what they ate was cold and rather tasteless, but they ate more out of necessity than appetite. Everyone was also a bit on edge because so far they had not been attacked or spotted by any more assassins or troops. In some ways, many of them would have preferred it that way since then they would actually know where the enemy was and be more assured of the fact that the army hadn't figured out their true objective. Being in the dark both literally and figuratively made the whole situation all the more stressful, yet once again, Orihime was the one to calm everyone's nerves.

Barely above a whisper, Orihime asked, "Rukia, did you ever hear about when Renji was first assigned to Ichigo as his pupil and young cadet?"

Looking up from her hands (Rukia had been nervously picking at her cuticles), Rukia shook her head as she said, "No, I haven't. Was it really that big of a deal?"

"Well," said Orihime with a soft chuckle, "let's just say that neither of them was what the other expected, but they were exactly what the other needed..."

 _"Hey, mongrel! Make sure you don't spill any of your filthy blood on the training grounds!"_

 _"Yeah! We don't want to slip and get something so disgusting all over our clothes!"_

 _Gritting his teeth and balling his hands into fists, it took quite a bit of Renji's self-restraint not to turn around and bash those idiots' teeth down their own throats. However, there were three reasons Renji had for keeping his temper in check._

 _First, while he could take the two down who were leading the taunts, obviously they weren't completely stupid since they were backed up by five more guys. No way could Renji take them all down._

 _Second, even if he was able to give most if not all of them a good beating, unlike all of them who had been recruited or allowed to join as cadets simply because of their family connections, Renji's place among their ranks was conditional at best. Every year the king allowed up to three commoners who wished to join the army as something other than foot-soldiers to go through a series of rigorous tests and training to see if they had what it took to work with the 'elite'. After having been one of the few survivors in his village when it was ravaged by a band of outlaws, Renji had determined that he would learn to fight so that no one else had to suffer as he had. He'd also been inspired by the commander who had been in charge of taking care of the outlaws and so determined that he would work as hard as was necessary in order to eventually work under that commander. However, in spite of the fact that he had earned the right to become a cadet through his own hard work, Renji knew that if he were to fight anyone of higher social status than himself simply because they were taunting him, he would be the one kicked out. Should they attack him, then things might possibly swing more in his favor, but there were no guarantees._

 _Lastly, when it came to insults, these guys were pathetic. The part of Renji that wasn't itching to knock all their heads together simply because of how stupid they were was amused at the thought of what their stupid faces would look like if they actually heard someone insult or especially threaten them for real._

 _"Is there an issue here gentlemen?"_

 _Hearing that voice, Renji immediately whirled around and couldn't help the grin that spread across his face when he saw Commander Kugo Ginjou standing about ten feet away with his arms crossed over his chest and arching an inquisitive brow at Renji's would-be tormentors. While the man didn't have any idea who Renji was, Commander Ginjou was the person who tried to save Renji's village. Also, when Renji had learned that the commander had been accepted as a cadet as one of those commoners that the king allowed to enter and eventually risen in the ranks due to hard work and perseverance, Renji had determined to follow in the man's footsteps. As a result of his background, Commander Ginjou was not someone who would give someone a free pass simply because they were born to privilege._

 _Quickly straightening themselves up and throwing several hasty and sloppy salutes, one of the cadets replied nervously, "No, no issue at all Commander Kugo Ginjou, sir. We were just teasing Cadet Abarai, but we didn't mean any harm by it Commander Kugo Ginjou, sir."_

 _Licking his lips, one of the others began, "That's right Commander Kugo Gin-"_

 _Holding up a hand, the commander said evenly, "I would be grateful if none of you used my full name in a sentence ever again. Got it?"  
_

 _The cadet began, "Yes, Commander Ku-I mean, sir yes sir!"_

 _"Good," said Commander Ginjou before looking over at Renji and inquiring, "Were they just teasing you, cadet?"_

 _Feeling like his heart was about to leap out of his chest, Renji gave the commander what he hoped was a proper salute as he replied, "Sir, I'm not really sure."_

 _Frowning yet with a slow grin of amusement beginning to lift the corners of his lips, the commander leaned back on his heels and asked, "Oh, and why is that, cadet?"_

 _When Renji didn't answer right away and chewed on his lip instead, the commander said, "Speak freely, boy. If your peers choose to exact some sort of revenge later," he indicated with a nod towards the young man standing behind him, "my subordinate, Captain Tsukishima, will be sure to inform me."_

 _Barely suppressing his snort of laughter at just how perfect this whole situation had become, Renji replied freely, "Sir, what I meant was that I believe they were trying to tease and taunt me, but...I'd say they haven't had very good training in that particular field. I've heard far worse before back home."_

 _Eyes sparking with amusement, Commander Ginjou pointed a finger at him and said with conviction, "You must be a cadet who passed the king's tests."_

 _Before Renji could say anything, the commander strode over and held out his hand as he said, "Good to have you here, cadet."_

 _Taking the man's hand and giving it a firm shake, Renji replied, "Thank you, sir. It's an honor to finally meet you."_

 _Grinning down at Renji, the commander replied, "None of that now._ _I always like to shake the hand of any man who joins the ranks after passing the tests. There aren't enough of us, but maybe that will change someday, eh?"_

 _"I hope so," replied Renji automatically before the commander released his hand and asked, "By the way, who have you been assigned to?"_

 _Jumping slightly and retrieving a slip of parchment from the cuff of his sleeve, Renji read it and said, "Captain Ichigo Kurosaki."_

 _"Ah, I know the captain personally," said the commander before he jerked his head and finished with, "C'mon, I'll introduce you myself."_

 _"Thank you, sir," Renji repeated as he fell into step beside his childhood hero. As he walked along and made small talk with the commander, Renji wished he could have been assigned to work under Commander Ginjou. While captains were actually the ones responsible for training the cadets, had Renji been paired with someone like Captain Tsukishima then he would be able to work with the commander, or at least under him._

 _All of a sudden, the commander stopped and said, "Ah, there he is. Hey, Captain Kurosaki!"_

 _Looking up from his task of polishing his blade, the captain set aside his rag and asked, "Yes, Commander Ginjou? Something I can help you with?"_

 _Clapping a hand to Renji's back, the commander said, "Nope, I just came along to show your new cadet around and to introduce him to you. Captain, may I introduce you to...well, I'm sorry, but I don't think I ever got your name, cadet."_

 _Giving the commander an understanding grin, Renji answered with, "Renji Abarai, sir," before looking up at his captain and said with more reserve, "Cadet Renji Abarai, reporting for duty, Captain Kurosaki, sir."_

 _"At ease, cadet," replied the captain automatically before he scowled slightly and said, "I believe new cadets are supposed to report for duty after morning muster. It's now nearly lunchtime."_

 _Gritting his teeth and inhaling deeply, Renji said in an even and respectful a tone as he could muster, "I apologize for my tardiness, captain. I left later than I had planned and tried to run part of the way to make up the difference, but that only tired me out quicker and forced me to stop a couple times to catch my breath."_

 _Nodding his head once in understanding, the captain's tone was unyielding as he said, "Be that as it may, make sure it doesn't happen again. Tardiness in our line of work cannot be tolerated. Understood?"_

 _"Yes, sir," Renji replied quietly before Commander Ginjou said with a deep chuckle, "Oh come now, captain. It's the boy's first day and in case you didn't realize, he's not one of those privileged elite who was brought here in a carriage or given a horse to ride. He's a commoner who got in after passing the king's tests."_

 _Again nodding his head, the captain replied, "With all due respect, Commander Ginjou, I am aware of that fact, but Renji Abarai is now a cadet in the king's army. And like any of the other cadets, he does have duties that he needs to accomplish on top of learning whatever I deem necessary to teach him. He can't do either of those things if he's not here in a timely manner."_

 _Holding his hands up with the palms facing out, Commander Ginjou replied, "You are right, of course. I meant no offense."_

 _"None taken," said the captain as he held out his own hand, "and I meant no disrespect towards you, commander."_

 _Shaking the captain's hand, the commander said, "Well, I leave the boy in your capable hands, Captain Kurosaki. You are one of the elite after all," and without another word, he strode away with Captain Tsukishima trailing behind him silently._

 _After watching the commander leave, Renji turned back towards his own commanding officer and looked the man over critically. Having just turned thirteen a few months prior, Renji was now entering the stage in life where most teenagers were highly critical towards those in authority over them. If this man showed himself to be at all incompetent or unworthy of his respect, then Renji had every intention of demanding that he be allowed to transfer to work under someone else. He had worked too hard to be accepted as a cadet to have his chances of being promoted to higher ranks ruined because his training captain was worthless._

 _Standing in front of him was a man Renji couldn't quite read. He seemed like he was physically fit enough to maybe train him to fight properly, but Renji couldn't get a good idea from looking at him what kind of person the captain might be, so Renji assumed he was probably like the other elite: arrogant and self-centered._

 _Snapping back to attention when he noticed the captain was about to address him, Renji felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristle when the captain asked, "You are from the Rukongai Village, right?"_

 _"Yes, sir," replied Renji flatly before adding, "That village no longer exists, sir."_

 _Looking at Renji for a moment or two, the captain finally said, "Yes, I do remember reading that in the report as well. Is there anything else you think I should know before we get to work?"_

 _"No, sir," said Renji to which the captain replied with, "All right then, let's get started."_

 _The rest of the week was a bit of a 'one step forward, two steps back' sort of pattern for Renji. He was never tardy for anything again, but the captain found fault with the way he cared for his weapons (or rather that he didn't care for them at all). When he made sure to keep his weapons (both practice and real) clean and well kept, Captain Kurosaki would scold him for not practicing and training on his own during down time. On and on it went with Renji getting more and more frustrated. Looking around him at how the other cadets were able to basically do as they liked around their captains (or more often than not, wander away and not have to do any chores) made Renji even more resentful of his own superior officer._

 _Finally, as was bound to happen eventually, Renji snapped. It happened when he was tending to the captain's saddle and bridle, rubbing oil on the leather to make sure it didn't crack. Renji had spent a good ten minutes cleaning both and as he relaxed to admire his handiwork, the captain came over to inspect it and wasn't pleased with the results._

 _"Did you remember to wipe everything with a damp cloth first? Because it certainly looks as if you forgot that important step."_

 _Gripping the leather between his fingers and gritting his teeth, Renji all but growled, "Then do it yourself."_

 _Scowling at Renji, Captain Kurosaki asked, "Pardon."_

 _Flashing a resentful look at him, Renji repeated, "I said 'then do it yourself,'. I'm a cadet, not your slave."_

 _Then taking a deep breath and turning around to completely face his captain, Renji allowed every resentful thought that he had buried up until now to spill out of his mouth._

 _"No other captain is making their cadet work nearly as hard as you have been making me this past week and you know why? It's because I'm from Rukongai Village, right? Because I'm not one of the 'elite'. I only made it in as a cadet because I took the king's tests, not because I actually had anything worthwhile like a title or land or something like that. Well guess what? I'm proud of the fact that I had to do something in order to earn my way into the army, unlike all you prancing princes. People like Commander Ginjou, Captain Tsukishima and myself, we've proven that we can be just as good as any of you and you can't stand us. We grew up in places where you have to fight for everything you want and need in life, not like you. You don't know anything."_

 _When he finally finished, Renji started feeling slightly sick as the realization of what he had just done hit him, but Captain Kurosaki simply arched an eyebrow at him and asked, "Are you done?"_

 _Lowering his gaze but keeping his expression stubborn and resolute in his convictions, Renji replied, "Yes, Captain Kurosaki, sir."_

 _"All right then," said the captain, "Now it's my turn and I'm only going to tell you three things."_

 _Holding up one finger at a time, the captain counted down, saying, "One: where you come from is the least of my concerns. I don't base what I think of people on where they're born, but you can choose not to believe me on that if you want. I don't really care._

 _"Two: you're right that not a lot of other captains make their subordinates do much of anything, but I'm not like them. Tough break, cadet, but you were assigned to me and I'm going to train you the best way I know how. That means that I'm not going to let you slack off and become a useless moron like some others that I see swaggering their way around._

 _"Three: you said you earned your place in this army. Prove it. Show me why and how you passed all those tests."_

 _Staring furiously up at the captain for about half a minute, Renji finally huffed, grabbed a cloth lying nearby and stalked over to the water bucket as he called over his shoulder, "Fine then! I will!"_

 _From that point on things between Renji and Captain Kurosaki improved marginally at best. Most of the tension came from Renji since he wasn't quite sure how to act around his captain at this point. It seemed to Renji that if the captain had wanted to have him reassigned or even kicked out it would have happened fairly swiftly, so he was pretty sure that meant that his position as a cadet was still fairly secure. On the other hand, Renji couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that his outburst hadn't caused more of an issue so that he wouldn't feel pinpricks of guilt over what he said every so often._

 _However, one thing that did change after their exchange is that Captain Kurosaki's two friends, Captain Chad Yasutora and Captain Uryu Ishida, came around more often and even helped with Renji's training. Renji especially liked Captain Yasutora since he learned that the captain was also someone who had passed the king's tests and risen in the ranks. The man was also calmer and more encouraging when working with Renji so gradually Renji began to relax and work harder than ever._

 _One day as Renji was working with Captain Kurosaki on sword-fighting out on the training grounds(Chad and Uryu were off to the side observing), a young woman dressed in what looked like men's clothing (only her tunic went down past her knees) walked up and called out, "Hey, Ichigo! Looks like army life has made you soft! What're you doing?"_

 _Rolling his eyes, the captain effortlessly parried Renji's thrust before he replied, "Nice to see you too, Tatsuki. As you can clearly see, I'm in the middle of training my cadet, so I'd appreciate if you're planning on sticking around for a bit to just be a polite observer."_

 _Returning his attention back to Renji, the captain swiped viciously at Renji's midsection as he instructed, "You're leaving yourself wide open again. I told you to focus more on defense and keeping your blade closer to your body when your opponent is taller and has a longer arm-span than you."_

 _Gritting his teeth and knocking the captain's blade away, Renji replied, "I can't win a fight if I don't go on the offensive."_

 _The captain's face became grim as he deftly disarmed Renji with two swift blows: one to the practice blade to knock it aside and the other to Renji's hand gripping it._

 _Flicking his own blade up and holding it steadily under Renji's chin, Captain Kurosaki said flatly, "And I've told you that the best offensive attack starts after a solid defense. Wildly swing your blade about and you'll miss almost every single time which will also sap you of your energy quicker than you expect. Instead, you defend and conserve your energy until you spot an opportunity and then make the most of it."_

 _Handing Renji his practice sword, the captain gave him a dismissive nod before turning and asking, "Now, Tatsuki, what brought you here?"_

 _Leaning against the fence next to Chad, Tatsuki replied, "It's been a while and I wanted to see how you guys were doing. I also thought I'd drop in on Orihime and wondered if any of you were interested in joining me."_

 _Clearing his throat, Uryu replied, "I think that would be an excellent suggestion. We could all use a bit of a break, I think."_

 _Giving his friend a hard look, Ichigo sighed and scratched the back of his head before calling over his shoulder, "Renji!"_

 _Looking up from his task of polishing the practice swords, Renji answered inquisitively, "Yes, sir?"_

 _"How'd you feel about riding over towards the palace for the afternoon? Or more specifically, Soru-shi Town just on the outskirts of the palace grounds?"_

 _Returning his attention to his polishing, Renji replied in a flat tone, "I don't own a horse, sir."_

 _"I am aware of that, Renji," answered the captain in an equally testy tone, "There are horses that have been set aside for ranking officers who either can't afford one or who don't have one currently because theirs is getting too old or was injured. We just have to ask Commander Aizen for permission since he is my direct superior. So, are you going to join us this afternoon or not?"_

 _Just as Renji was about to retort that he'd rather smack himself over the head with the practice swords than ride with the captain on a 'charity horse', Renji heard himself say aloud, "Yes, sir. I will."_

 _"Fine then," replied the captain before putting his hands on his hips and saying, "Finish that up and we'll head out."_

 _Ten minutes later, the group was heading towards the commanders wing of the army headquarters. Trailing along behind the adults, Renji observed the woman interacting with the men and gathered that she and Captain Kurosaki were probably old acquaintances and that Captain Yasutora was attracted to her if his expressions were anything to go by. She also kept asking about how 'Orihime' was doing and Captain Kurosaki merely shrugged his shoulders and said that he hadn't seen her recently._

 _When they arrived at the large reception area (which also doubled as a kind of 'war room' when needed), Renji saw Commander Aizen standing near Commander Byakuya Kuchiki, Commander Kenpachi Zaraki and Commander Ginjou apparently in deep conversation with them. Or at least, Aizen and the others were listening at this point while Commander Zaraki was talking very emphatically. All the commanders' captains were standing off to the side seemingly with nothing to do at the moment other than wait for the superiors to finish their conversation._

 _About ten feet away from the group, Captain Kurosaki stopped and waited to be acknowledged at which point Renji heard Commander Zaraki say scornfully, "Two years! It's been almost two years since I've been involved in a decent battle! Mangy outlaw bands and petty criminals are all I've had to deal with recently! I didn't join the army to put down curs like those!"_

 _In a calm, cool tone, Commander Kuchiki asked, "And what would you propose to do about that? Will you go out and start a war simply to alleviate your boredom?"_

 _Holding up his hands in a placating manner, Commander Ginjou said, "Let's not start this again. Our job is to keep the peace so that the king and his kingdom can enjoy the benefits."_

 _Aizen's eyebrow arched and the corners of his mouth tilted upwards ever so subtly before he turned his attention to Captain Kurosaki and asked smoothly, "Yes, captain? I assume you have come to inquire something of me?"_

 _Saluting his commanding officer, Captain Kurosaki replied, "Yes, sir. I have come to request that my cadet be allowed to use one of the army's reserve horses."_

 _"Indeed," said the commander as he looked over at Renji and asked, "Tell me, why should I approve of this request, cadet? How would using one of the horses benefit you?"_

 _At first, Renji misunderstood the commander's words thinking that the man was basically asking him to beg for the privilege of being allowed to ride one of the army's precious horses and was about to reply when he checked himself and mentally reviewed what Commander Aizen had actually said. When he realized that the commander was asking Renji why he needed to use a horse, Renji thought over his answer another moment or two before he responded._

 _"To be honest, commander, I don't have much experience with horses because I wasn't in a position where access to them was easy or even possible most of the time. As part of my training, I do need to learn how to ride and fight on a horse, so until I am able to purchase one for myself I would be most grateful if you would grant me permission to use one of the army's horses."_

 _Nodding his head with a slight smile, Commander Aizen replied, "Well spoken, cadet."_

 _Looking between Aizen and Renji, Commander Ginjou's eyes lit up in recognition as he stated, "I knew you looked familiar, cadet. You came here not all that long ago, right?"_

 _Before Renji could answer, the commander turned to Aizen and crossed his arms as he said crossly, "And why are you making him justify his request to borrow a horse? What if he were one of your elite? Would you do the same thing to him then?"_

 _The same smile still on his face, Commander Aizen looked over at Commander Ginjou and replied calmly, "Naturally I would since I would be the one held responsible should something happen to the poor beast. Also, I believe the army's policy on lending those horses out is to give them to those who have need of them. We only have so many to begin with, so I felt it right to ask and make sure that this cadet had need of the horse before just granting my permission."_

 _Turning his attention back to Renji, Aizen asked, "Tell me, cadet, were you offended by my inquiry just now?"_

 _Beginning to wish he hadn't agreed to come on this venture, Renji swallowed hard before he answered truthfully, "I'm sorry Commander Aizen, but I was at first until I realized what you were actually asking me and why."_

 _"I see," said Aizen before he let out a low chuckle, "I commend you for your honesty and your prudence just now, cadet."_

 _To Captain Kurosaki, Commander Aizen said, "Your cadet does have my approval to use a horse as he has need of it. I'm sure you are aware of his responsibilities in this matter?"_

 _Saluting the commander again, Captain Kurosaki replied, "Yes, sir."_

 _"Very well, I just have one more question for you," said the commander, "I assume you and your friends are planning to go to Soru-shi Town, correct?"_

 _Even though Renji jolted at the commander's perceptiveness, Captain Kurosaki replied evenly, "Yes, sir, we are."_

 _"Good. Then I will grant permission for that little venture as well on the condition that you run a little errand for me," and when the captain nodded in agreement, Commander Aizen said, "The last time I was at Urahara's Shop, I asked him to put a few items aside for me if they came into his possession. I would like you to pick them up for me."_

 _"Very good, sir," replied the captain before he asked, "Will that be all, sir?"_

 _At Commander Aizen's nod, the captain and his group were about to turn and leave when Commander Ginjou said, "I think I'm of a mind to join you, captain. A little excursion sounds like a fine idea. What do you say, Tsukishima? Kutsuzawa?"_

 _Commander Ginjou's captains all nodded in agreement before the commander clapped his hands together once and declared, "Very well then. We'll set out within the hour. Should be plenty of time."_

 _The commander looked around at his peers as he asked, "Anyone else care to join us? How about you Zaraki? Might be some good exercise for you."_

 _Clicking his tongue irritably, Commander Zaraki replied, "Only really good exercise comes from fighting. But I'm getting bored around here, so might as well."_

 _With that all taken care of, Captain Kurosaki led Renji and the others down to the stable area. When they got there, it took about five minutes for the captain to explain to the head stableman that Renji had been given permission by Commander Aizen to use one of the horses and for the stableman to then find a horse that he thought would best suit Renji. After being told that Renji had very little knowledge on horse riding, the stableman came back leading a dapple gray mare and explained that the horse was very gentle and docile, so while she would not be an ideal choice for combat it was an excellent one for an inexperienced rider._

 _Thanking the stableman, Captain Kurosaki then turned to Renji and said, "You'll find a saddle and other necessities in the room over there," he nodded towards an open doorway off to the left before continuing on, saying, "Just so you know, while this horse is not officially yours and can be reassigned to someone else if they have need of her, you are responsible for the mare's care if you wish to be allowed to ride her when you need to."_

 _"Yes, sir," replied Renji automatically while in his mind he started mentally berating his mentor. Did the man honestly think that he was too ignorant to realize that being allowed to borrow a horse also meant that he would need to take care of it as well? It's not like he hadn't seen the captain tend to his own horse, Zangetsu, before; feeding him, grooming him, checking to make sure there were no loose stones under the horse shoes and even repairing one of those same shoes at one point._

 _Once he was finished saddling up his mare, Renji tried to remember how to properly mount a horse. It took him a couple of tries, but he was finally able to swing himself up into the saddle and for a moment, Renji was unbelievably proud of himself...until he realized that he hadn't the faintest idea how to make the horse start walking._

 _Swinging himself atop Zangetsu, Captain Kurosaki apparently noticed Renji's predicament and called over, "Gently squeeze your legs against her sides and lean forward slightly. You can use the reigns to help you show her which direction to turn, but again, you also need to prod your horse's side with your knee."_

 _"Umm..." mumbled Renji unconsciously as he desperately tried to keep track of everything the captain had just told him._

 _Again seeming to realize his subordinate's distress, Captain Kurosaki whistled sharply and clicked his tongue. To Renji's amazement, the mare turned in the captain's direction and walked towards him. When the mare was a couple of feet from his own horse, Captain Kurosaki nudged Zangetsu forward and the four of them made it out into the courtyard easily enough._

 _Turning his head slightly, the captain called over his shoulder, "I'm going to stop Zangetsu in a moment here, but I want you to keep your mare moving forward. All you have to do is squeeze your knees into her sides and lean forward. Flick the reigns as well if you want."_

 _Swallowing despite the fact that his throat was completely dry, Renji did as he was told and this time he was able to follow the captain's instructions more easily. He started to panic a little when he noticed that the mare was heading for a wall, but the captain once again called over instructions for how to turn and again Renji did as he was told. Coming back around to where his captain and Zangetsu were still standing, Renji was coached through how to stop the mare. When the horse stopped moving, Renji released all the air in his lungs that he hadn't realized he had sucked in._

 _"Not bad," said the captain and Renji was about to say something (he wasn't entirely sure what) when there was a bark of laughter and Commander Zaraki called over, "Having fun babysitting the whelp, Kurosaki? You're too soft on him! He needs to be whipped into shape quicker than that and I bet I could do the job just fine!"_

 _"Like the boy said," interjected Commander Ginjou with a hard look at Commander Zaraki, "he was one who passed the king's tests and wasn't part of the elite, so he hasn't had much access to horses before now."_

 _Noticing a bit of movement from the corner of his eye, Renji looked over and was rather confused to see Captain Kurosaki's expression harden in irritation and borderline fury. Next moment, the expression was gone when Captain Yasutora laid a hand over his friend's arm and shook his head once emphatically._

 _Looking around him to make sure that everyone was present, Commander Ginjou nodded in satisfaction before he gestured and said, "Well then, let's head out."_

 _Before they fell in line, Captain Kurosaki turned and said to Renji, "Try to practice turning and urging your horse forward. But if you forget, your horse is trained well enough to follow along and keep up with the rest of the horses. All right?"_

 _Nodding in understanding, Renji waited until Zangetsu started walking away before urging his horse to turn and follow behind him. As he rode along behind his captain, Renji couldn't help but remember the man's expression and wondering what in the world might have caused it. At one point, Renji was startled and delighted when Commander Ginjou rode back to walk his horse alongside his own for a little bit and striking up a bit of small talk with Renji about where he came from and how tough life had been for both of them growing up. That is, he was delighted at first, however, as the conversation went on, Renji wasn't quite sure why but he started to find the commander and his small talk...irritating._

 _The thought struck Renji so hard that he actually jumped a bit in his saddle. When the commander asked him if anything was wrong, Renji lied and said that a bug or something had stung him. The commander stayed and talked with him a little while longer before riding back to the head of the column and leaving Renji to his musings. The commander had saved him and tried to save as much of his village as he possibly could several years ago, so the man had been his hero for all that time. Renji had decided to become a cadet because of him. So, why was he now starting to view the man as a bit insufferable?_

 _Arriving at the sizable town of Soru-shi, all Renji's former thoughts were pushed aside as he tried to turn in every direction possible so as to drink in as much of the sights as he could. The two commanders and their subordinates went off in different directions from Captain Kurosaki's group and as soon as Commander Ginjou was out of sight, Renji felt a weight lift from his shoulders that he hadn't realized was there._

 _Halting his horse long enough to turn around in his saddle and look at Renji with a no-nonsense expression, Captain Kurosaki said, "Keep your eyes open and make sure to stay aware of your surroundings. Got it?"_

 _"Yes, Captain Kurosaki," answered Renji without hesitation to which the captain replied with a curt nod before urging his horse forward._

 _Renji followed behind his captain and Tatsuki while Captain Ishida rode in the rear and Captain Yasutora rode alongside Renji. Up front, Tatsuki was carrying on a mostly one-way conversation with the captain about everything from sparring to the current prices of goods to the well-being of everyone back home. Occasionally she would turn around to address one of the other captains or even Renji a few times, but just like Captain Kurosaki, the men were content to mostly just sit and listen._

 _Finally, Captain Kurosaki halted in front of a particular building and said, "We're here," before dismounting and securing his horse's bridle. The others followed suit, although Renji toppled out of his saddle rather than dismounted. However, Captain Yasutora leaned down and grabbed Renji's hand to keep him from slamming into the ground face-first. Renji's knees took a bit of a hit, but after swallowing down the initial pain, Renji was immensely grateful to the big man._

 _Racing around the horses, Captain Kurosaki knelt in front of Renji and asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"_

 _"Just my knees, captain," replied Renji, "I'm fine."_

 _Pulling himself up with Captain Yasutora's help, Renji looked up at him and said, "Thank you, sir."_

 _Grinning down at him, the captain replied in a low, rumbling tone, "Glad to do it, Renji."_

 _"All right," interjected Captain Kurosaki, "Let's head inside, then."_

 _Heading inside, Renji's tried to distract himself from just how sore and difficult to move his body was by flicking his gaze over the various shelves filled with odd knick-knacks and trinkets when a breezy tone came from the other end of the room, saying, "Ah, if it isn't Viscount Ichigo Kurosaki come to pay us a visit! And even a few of his friends! It has been quite some time, hasn't it?"_

 _Emerging from a back room, Kisuke Urahara threw his arms wide as he inquired, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"_

 _Extending his own hand for a handshake, Captain Kurosaki replied, "We came by to pick up some items for Commander Aizen and I was also wanting to see if Jinta was available to send a message to the palace."_

 _Holding his hands out with the palms facing up, Urahara said, "Nothing could be simpler," before he turned and called in the direction of the back room, "Ururu, if you would please be so kind as to bring me the packets marked for the commander! Jinta, please come with her!"_

 _About half a minute later, the two youths entered the main part of the store. Ururu bowed respectfully to the captain as she handed over the items while Jinta sauntered in with an irritated expression and his hands tucked behind his head._

 _"What'cha want this time?" asked Jinta scornfully before yawning and mumbling in a tone that could still be clearly heard, "It's not like I haven't been working around here all day, now I have to run errands for-Ouch! What was that for?!"_

 _Behind Jinta was Lady Yoruichi, who had just flicked the boy on the back of his head, and as she placed her hands on her hips she said firmly, "Keep talking like that and I'll make sure Tessai mixes hot spices into your food for the next week to remind you to watch your tongue. See if I don't."_

 _Clapping his hands together, Urahara tried to smooth the situation over as he said breezily, "Now, now. There's no need for all this tension."_

 _Glaring at her soon-to-be husband, Lady Yoruichi replied in a cool tone, "There wouldn't be any tension if you were to take your role as this boy's guardian more seriously...Kisuke darling," the last words were spoken in a rather sarcastic manner._

 _Shivering dramatically, Urahara said, "You know how much it hurts me when you..." but he quickly stopped himself when he saw his beloved's expression, cleared his throat and turned to address Captain Kurosaki instead and asked, "Well, anyway, what message would you like Jinta to deliver?"_

 _"I'd like him to tell Lady Inoue that Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, Renji and I have come into town for part of the day," answered the captain efficiently, "If she is able to join us for a time, we would all look forward to seeing her."_

 _"Very well," said Urahara before he turned to Jinta and said inquisitively, "Got it?"_

 _Rolling his eyes, Jinta huffed and grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, I got it-Ouch! Quit it already!"_

 _This time, Yoruichi had pinched the boy's ear between two fingers as she pulled his head around to face her as she said in a low tone, "If I happen to hear that you dawdled like you did last time there will be consequences you haven't even dreamed were possible. Are we clear?"_

 _Dancing around on his tip-toes, Jinta cried out, "Yeah, yeah! Sure! I got it! Now let me go, woman!"_

 _Just when Renji was half-convinced that the lady was about to take the boy to task for talking back to her, Urahara gently put his hand over Yoruichi's and gave her a benign smile. Much to Renji's amazement, Yoruichi released her hold and stepped back while Urahara laid a hand on Jinta's shoulder and leaned down to whisper something in the boy's ear. When the man straightened back up, Jinta's cheeks were flushed and Renji thought he detected a bit of fear in his expression. Next thing Renji knew, Jinta bowed and apologized hastily to everyone before scurrying out of the store to complete his assignment._

 _Jumping slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder, Renji whirled around to find himself face-to-face with Tatsuki as she grinned at him and whispered, "Wondering what caused such a sudden change in him?" and when Renji nodded, Tatsuki said, "Probably something about reminding him what Yoruichi actually does at the palace."_

 _Before Renji could ask exactly what that meant, Captain Ishida spoke up, asking, "Have you heard any rumors recently, Mr. Urahara?"_

 _Smile back in place, the shopkeeper replied, "Could you be a little more specific? I hear all kinds of rumors all the time. And I didn't think you were one for gossip, Captain Ishida."_

 _"True, I'm not one to 'pass along a story' simply for shock value," said Captain Ishida in a rather frosty tone, "However, most times rumors and gossip contain at least a tiny grain of truth to them. And in answer to your question, I am inquiring if you have heard anything recently about the kingdom's relations with the neighboring countries, in particular Hueco Mundo."_

 _Thinking for a moment or two, Urahara said in an even tone, "I have heard some whispers that there is a high ranking official who has been in contact with King Barragan of Hueco Mundo. Right now the messages back and forth are simply scouting out potential interest in an alliance between our kingdom and theirs, no important information that could be considered treasonous is being relayed. What such an alliance might mean, I can only guess at."_

 _"And your guess is what?" asked Captain Kurosaki._

 _Folding his hands in front of him, Urahara answered in a rather apologetic tone, "I'd rather keep my theories to myself for the time being, just to be on the safe side."_

 _Renji, thinking that Urahara was not sharing his ideas because the shopkeeper didn't trust him, was just about to say something when Captain Kurosaki said, "We'll be heading out then. If Lady Inoue does drop by here looking for us, tell her that we went to the shopping district. Specifically the smithy and apothecary."_

 _Nodding and smiling, Urahara replied, "It would be my pleasure. If you don't have to rush back to headquarters, I would be delighted if you all returned to share our evening meal."_

 _"I will keep that in mind," said the captain with a nod of acknowledgement before heading for the door. The others politely took their leave and followed after him. A minute later, they were all back in the saddle and heading towards the shopping district._

 _They stopped first at the apothecary to pick up some medicinal herbs as well as a few for cooking. While they were inside, Renji stared in fascination at all the different charts hanging from the walls showing pictures of internal organs and muscles of the body, the skeletons of various small creatures lining the shelves as well as some larger bones that Renji was fairly certain were human and even a few jars with what looked like some kind of viscous liquid in which a few deceased creatures were suspended. When the apothecary, whose name was Kurotsuchi, saw Renji's interest in his 'little treasured experiments' as he called them, he offered to show Renji a few extra special items that he kept in the back room that he was especially proud of, but had been forced to keep out of sight due to complaints. Captain Kurosaki quickly paid the apothecary for the items, thanked him for his time and promptly took leave of him._

 _As they remounted, the captain turned and said to Renji, "While Kurotsuchi is one of the best apothecaries I've ever come across, he is also very strange and morbid. If you're going to utilize his expertise, I recommend going in there knowing exactly what you need and getting out as quickly as possible. Right, Uryu?"_

 _Wrinkling his nose, Captain Ishida nodded once as he said, "For once, your captain is completely correct in his judgement, Renji. Kurotsuchi is a man almost maniacally devoted to his work."_

 _"Why?" asked Renji._

 _Grinning, Tatsuki replied, "I'll give you four choices for what Kurotsuchi's 'extra special items' are that he keeps in the back room. Sound good?"_

 _Renji's response was to nod furiously since he was nearly dying of curiosity, so Tatsuki smirked as she held up her fingers and said, "Option one: in a bigger jar than the ones you saw in the shop, he put ten human hearts that are various sizes since they came from a variety of people. Option two: he has two complete human skeletons, one male, one female. Option three: he has a jar filled with eyeballs that are most likely human."_

 _Pausing dramatically, Tatsuki leaned forward in her saddle as she held up her pinky finger and said in a rather ominous tone, "Or option four: all of the above."_

 _By this point, Renji's eyeballs could have easily popped out of their sockets as he swallowed and said slowly, "No way..."_

 _"Knock it off, Tatsuki," said Captain Kurosaki, "He doesn't need those ideas in his head."_

 _Jaw dropping, Renji scowled and demanded indignantly, "You mean she was lying to me?"_

 _Shaking his head, the captain replied, "I didn't say that. It's one thing to see something for yourself, which is bad enough most times, but when you imagine it, your brain can take over the thought and make it a whole lot worse than it actually is."_

 _It took Renji a moment to process exactly what the captain was trying to say and when he did, all Renji could think of to say was, "Oh."_

 _Arriving at the smithy, while the adults went inside, Renji asked Captain Kurosaki for permission to walk around nearby. Seeming to understand that Renji needed time to work out his sore muscles, the captain agreed without hesitation. For a moment, Renji was sure that the captain was about to say something to him like 'make sure you keep out of trouble' but stopped himself and instead turned to go inside the shop. Renji couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he basked in the idea that his captain had just given him his first taste of freedom and maybe even a bit of trust._

 _Wandering aimlessly down the street, Renji peeked at the wares different vendors were selling and stuck up a conversation of small talk here and there with various people, but Renji really wasn't interested in buying anything. When the vendors caught on to that fact, they were still polite, but were quick to divert their attention if someone else came by their stall. That was fine with Renji, though. There were plenty of other things to see and observe._

 _Looking up at one point, Renji saw Commander Ginjou's subordinates not far from where he was at one of the stalls. He recognized Captain Tsukishima in particular, who was flipping through a book and seeming to be contemplating whether or not he would purchase it. The vendor was standing off to the side, fingers interlocked and looking very pleased at the prospect of selling some of his wares._

 _Seeing movement a little further down the street, Renji saw a woman riding her horse coming in his direction. From her garb (and also from the fact that she was riding a horse), Renji guessed that she was probably a noblewoman, but something about the image of her riding didn't sit quite right with him._

 _Before he could figure out what was bothering him about the woman, Renji heard a different vendor call out frantically, "Stop! Thief! Someone help me!"_

 _Immediately, Renji's attention was fixed on the fleeing figure of the thief and he realized that the man was coming in his direction. However, just as he was going over in his mind how exactly to apprehend the man, a cadet who worked under Captain Tsukishima drew his sword and leaped forward to engage the man. The thief had evidently come prepared for trouble as he pulled out a long dirk from underneath his cloak and swiped viciously at the cadet. Just as Renji began to relax and just enjoy watching the fight, he noticed that the two combatants were inching their way closer and closer to where the woman was still sitting atop her horse._

 _"Hey!" called out Renji without realizing exactly what he was doing or why, "Watch where you're going!"_

 _His warning came a bit too late as one of the cadet's swings went wide and cut a gash in the side of the woman's horse. With an anguished whiny that sounded almost like a scream, the horse began to rear and buck. The woman's attempts to calm the horse proved useless and Renji ran forward when he realized that she was about to lose her grip. When the woman tumbled out of the saddle, Renji firmly planted his feet and tried to catch her. While he did manage to break her fall initially, the force of the woman who was roughly the same size as himself proved too much for him and they both fell into one of the stalls behind them. Renji took the brunt of the hit and while he didn't have any broken bones, he was fairly certain that he now had bruises on top of his already aching muscles. After realizing that its rider was no longer in the saddle, the horse took off down the street._

 _"Boy, am I going to be in agony tomorrow," mumbled Renji under his breath before he looked at the woman and asked, "Are you all right, milady?"_

 _Just as she was opening her mouth to respond, the cadet dealt the thief a blow that sent him careening over towards the same stall Renji and the woman had crashed into. Realizing that fact a moment too late, Renji didn't have enough time to put himself in front of the woman before the thief snatched her arm and pulled her towards him. Next moment, the dirk in the man's hand was poised against her neck._

 _"Anyone moves so much as a muscle," said the thief in a hoarse voice, "and this woman's blood will be running all over the cobblestones."_

 _To Renji's horror, the cadet who had first engaged the thief started forward with his blade raised. The thief grinned as he pulled his hand back just a little and Renji heard the woman inhale sharply as the dirk cut into her neck._

 _"Go ahead and try," said the thief with a dangerous chuckle, "but if you don't value this woman's life."_

 _Then, the thief yelled to the surrounding crowd, "Anyone comes any closer-"_

 _"Let her go!"_

 _Without even needing to turn his head, Renji knew that Captain Kurosaki had arrived. What surprised Renji was not the fact that the captain had come out to see what all the commotion was about, but rather the amount of anger and what might even be fear in the captain's tone. He had never heard the captain use that kind of tone before and if he were perfectly honest with himself, Renji would notice fear of his own welling up inside him._

 _Laughing scornfully, the thief kept a firm grip on the woman, but pulled the knife up and away slightly as he said, "Why should I? She's a pretty one and-ARGH!"_

 _It almost could have been comical the way an arrow seemed to suddenly sprout out of the thief's hand, causing him to drop his weapon. To Renji's utter disbelief, the woman did a weird sort of twist in the man's arms and flipped him over her back. With an almost sickening thud, the thief lay sprawled out and dazed in the middle of the street._

 _The next instant, Captain Kurosaki and the others came rushing forward. Due to the fact that Captain Ishida had an arrow notched on his bowstring, Renji assumed that he had been the one to shoot the thief just then. Standing by the man's head, Captain Ishida didn't need to say a word as he glared coldly down at him, almost daring him to make another false move._

 _Coming up beside the woman, Captain Kurosaki asked hurriedly, "Orihime? Are you all right?"_

 _"I'm fine," replied Orihime with a rather shaky smile before nodding at Renji and saying, "That young man saved me when Rikka threw me off, so I'm sure he'll need to be looked at."_

 _The captain started reaching towards Orihime's neck, but quickly clenched his fingers into a fist and held it frozen in midair for a moment or two. Seeming to understand what the captain was thinking, Orihime covered his hand with hers as she said quietly, "It's just a scratch, Ichigo. I'll be fine."_

 _"Man, this stinks. I almost had him."_

 _Seeing Captain Kurosaki's shoulders stiffen, Renji felt that same fear raise the hairs on the back of his neck as the captain turned around slowly and say in a low, dangerous tone, "No, what you did was stupid. You didn't pay attention to your surroundings and because of your mistake an innocent bystander was threatened and even injured."_

 _Giving the captain a scornful look, the cadet threw back, "You wouldn't care nearly as much if that woman weren't an 'elite', now would you?"_

 _"That does it," growled Captain Kurosaki before he yanked his hand out of the woman's grasp and stalked forward to grip the cadet's tunic and pull the boy up until he was standing on tip-toe._

 _"Now, you listen to me, Cadet Moe Shishigawara. Be it royalty, nobility, commoner or otherwise, I am a captain in King Tamashi's army and I swore an oath to protect the all the people of this kingdom. Just now, your actions may have been meant honorably, I admit, but through your carelessness you threatened the safety and lives of my subordinate and the woman I intend to marry."_

 _Releasing his hold on the cadet, Captain Kurosaki scowled not only at him, but at the rest of Commander Ginjou's subordinates as he finished by saying, "_ _As a member of the king's army and one of Commander Ginjou's cadets, you should be ashamed of your conduct."_

 _Then turning back towards his friends, Captain Kurosaki was about to speak when Tatsuki said, "We got this. You look after Orihime somewhere else," and with a nod in acknowledgement he turned and offered his arm to Orihime, who gave him a small smile before accepting his offer._

 _"You all right?"_

 _Flinching slightly, Renji looked up to see Captain Yasutora standing next to him and holding out his large hand. His expression was full of concern and Renji tried to grin bravely as he reached up to accept the offer of help, but he couldn't completely cover his grimace of pain as he pulled himself to his feet._

 _Groaning under his breath, Renji said, "Right now, my worst nightmare is having to ride all the way back to headquarters. Don't know how I'm ever going to make it in one piece."_

 _Smiling at him sympathetically, Captain Yasutora replied, "We'll figure something out. Don't worry."_

 _Coming up next to them, Tatsuki frowned at Renji with concern as she asked, "Think you can make it back to Urahara's on your own while we drop this bit of trash off with the palace guard?"_

 _"Wait what?" asked Renji in confusion, "Why the palace guard? And I don't remember how to get back to Urahara's. It's too far."_

 _Smirking at Renji, Tatsuki replied, "Since this town is on the outskirts of the palace, the palace guards are responsible for its safety. And we are actually closer to the shop than you realize. Just go down the street over there, turn right at the second street down and then right again and you should see it from there. Ok?"_

 _Taking a few tentative steps, Renji winced as he moved his body but when he didn't double over in agony, he grinned and said, "Ok," before following the woman's directions._ _As he walked, Renji was able to go over all the things that had bothered him earlier in the day and he was able to figure out what was wrong in each case._

 _First of all, he contemplated the image of the woman who had turned out to be Captain Kurosaki's lady riding down the street. What had struck him as odd at the time was the fact that she was not only riding a horse (most noblewomen would take a carriage when they were going shopping and such), but she had also been alone._

 _Once he had that figured out, Renji contemplated his earlier irritation at Commander Ginjou and this scenario's explanation proved more difficult to discover than the first. As Renji pondered the situation, images of Captain Kurosaki lecturing Cadet Shishigawara kept popping up in his mind, much to Renji's confusion. Finally, when Renji recalled the captain's actual words, the pieces started to fall into place._

 _When Renji had first arrived as a cadet, he had been biased against so many people due to his origins as a 'child of the streets' simply because he assumed that they were all biased against him for the same reason. Evidently, Commander Ginjou, Cadet Shishigawara and Renji assumed the rest of the commander's subordinates were of that exact mentality. They were so concerned with a person's titles or lack thereof that they didn't pay any attention to the actual person underneath. Like Captain Kurosaki had said, their job was to serve and protect everyone, regardless of their station in life._

 _Another thing Renji realized was while Commander Ginjou had recalled that Renji was a cadet who had passed the king's tests, the commander had not bothered to remember his name. Thinking back to the day of his arrival, Renji was now able to see that Captain Kurosaki had taken enough time and trouble to not only learn his new cadet's name, but to also find out as much as he could about him so that he wouldn't ask unnecessary questions during their introductions. To the captain, Renji now realized that a person's background was useful information to know, but one could only really judge a person based on their actions and convictions._

 _"And here I was thinking this whole time that working under Commander Ginjou would be so much better," mumbled Renji under his breath as he arrived at Urahara's Shop once again._

 _Coming up to the entrance, Renji was about to go inside when he heard the captain say with a sigh, "It's not just that, Orihime."_

 _"Then what is it? What's really bothering you?" asked Orihime gently. Renji imagined her taking the captain's hand between her own and massaging it with her thumbs._

 _Hearing a kind of scratching noise, Renji was pretty sure the captain was doing that particular tick of his when he was frustrated as he said, "I just don't think I'm cut out for this. I'm a horrible teacher because I don't have any patience and every time I explain things to him, he gives me this dazed expression like I've spoken to him in another language or something."_

 _Feeling his stomach begin to knot at the realization that he was the subject of their conversation, Renji swallowed hard as he heard Orihime ask, "Can I ask you a question, Ichigo?"_

 _The captain must have nodded in response because she then asked, "Are doing your absolute best to train him?"_

 _Another sigh as the captain replied, "I don't know."_

 _"Well, then, let me ask it a different way. Are you asking him to do anything that you yourself aren't willing to do? By that I mean, if you ask him to chop wood or something, it's not because you aren't able to do it yourself, right?"_

 _"...No."_

 _"Are you willing to go over the things you're teaching him as often as he needs until he's able to do it on his own?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"Do you want to stop training him because it's turning out to be a bigger hassle than you thought it would be?"_

 _"What?! No! How could yo-"_

 _Hearing her song-like laughter Renji felt his heart tighten, then she said, "I know that, Ichigo. I just wanted you to hear yourself say that."_

 _In that gentle, soothing tone, Orihime said, "I know you, Ichigo. I know that you take your responsibilities very seriously and you expect the same of others. You are doing your best to train your cadet and when things don't go well, you blame yourself and try to figure out what you're doing wrong in order to fix things._ _So, here are some things for you to keep in mind._

 _"First of all, if you are getting frustrated because he doesn't seem to understand what you're saying, it's probably because you're either not taking your time or you are explaining things in a way that makes sense to you. When it comes to anything having to do with fighting, you've always been a natural. You're able to watch someone else do something and in most cases you are able to do what they did with a little bit of practice. Seems to me like your cadet is not the same way, so you need to keep that in mind. He's not slow, but rather he is a slower learner than you. Take your time teaching him."_

 _The captain must have nodded in understanding because Orihime said, "Good. The other thing you need to remember is that this boy has a good heart just like you. He had no idea who I was, but he did his best to save me when I lost control of Rikka back there. So, whenever you are about to critique him, I want you to remember what he did for me and think of two encouragement to tell him on top of what he needs to work on. Got it?"_

 _In a grudging grumble the captain replied, "I'm not good at that sort of thing."_

 _Laughing again, Orihime said, "Well, you're not going to get any better if you don't practice, now will you?"_

 _Renji couldn't hear the captain's response, but he could guess what it may have been when Orihime say cheerily, "Of course I am."_

 _Hearing a sound behind him, Renji turned around and breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out to be a cat. Not wanting to walk in and have the couple realize that he had overheard their conversation, Renji carefully tip-toed a short distance away before striding back towards the shop, this time making enough noise to be heard as he neared the entrance._ _Walking inside, Renji saw the captain and Orihime sitting in two chairs that must have been set up for them when they arrived._

 _Before he could say anything, Orihime shook the captain's hand insistently, to which he responded with a slight grin as he said, "Cadet Renji Abarai, may I introduce you to Lady Orihime Inoue."_

 _The moment the last word had left the captain's mouth, Orihime immediately rose to her feet, swooped in front of Renji and began inspecting him for injuries as she said, "Oh, I'm so glad to see you here safe and sound. I can't believe I was so thoughtless back there and didn't think to check to see if you were all right or even thank you for saving me. I hope you will forgive me."_

 _Staring at her with a dumbfounded expression, Renji finally swallowed and said hesitantly, "I'm fine..." before looking rather helplessly over at his captain._

 _Catching on, Captain Kurosaki rose to his feet and said, "Give Renji a moment, Orihime," then with a slight grin he added, "Remember what you told me just now."_

 _"That was different and you know it," retorted Orihime with a frown before her expression once more became soft with concern as she said, "but I see what you're saying."_

 _Looking back at Renji, Orihime said, "If you say you're all right, then I'll believe you. I just want to be sure since you did crash into that stall after saving me."_

 _Clearing his throat, Renji answered honestly, "I am a bit sore, but I think most of that is from all the riding."_

 _Eyes brightening, Orihime said, "Have a seat and I'll be right back," and before either male could say anything, Orihime rushed to the back of the store._

 _Gesturing for Renji to have a seat in one of the chairs, Captain Kurosaki sat in the opposite one, folding his hands in front of him and saying quietly, "I also want to apologize for earlier. I was so focused on getting Lady Inoue out of there that I didn't stop and ask if you were all right."_

 _Automatically, Renji said, "It's nothing. I'm fine."_

 _Clenching his hands, the captain's eyes connected with Renji's as he said seriously, "It is something. And it is something that I will forever be indebted to you for. Had you not acted as you did, Orihime...well, I guess what might have happened doesn't matter. You saved her. Thank you."_

 _If Renji had had any misgivings about the kind of person Captain Kurosaki was, those words would have been sufficient to wipe them all away. Captain Kurosaki hadn't thanked him because he was a cadet or a commoner. The captain had thanked the person who had saved someone he cared about deeply. The thought that the captain wouldn't say those words to him unless he truly meant them also had a deep impact on Renji._

 _Nodding in acknowledgement of his captain's words, Renji was about to say something when Orihime burst back into the room carrying a tray filled will various bottles and jars. Setting it down on the counter, she began mixing some of the items in a larger bowl and made a kind of paste. Then, she smeared some of the paste on stripes of cloth before explaining what she was doing._

 _"This is a poultice used to help soothe sore and achy muscles," said Orihime in a matter-of-fact tone, "Tell me where you are the most sore and we'll put these stripes over those areas. Oh, and I also asked Ururu to brew you a special cup of tea that will increase the effectiveness of the poultice as well as ease your headache."_

 _Stunned, Renji couldn't believe that this woman had gone to all this trouble just for him. She had even diagnosed that he had a headache, which he himself hadn't even realized until she said as much. As he complied with Orihime's instructions, Renji couldn't believe just how ignorant he had been up until that point. When the others came back, they all stayed for dinner and afterwards Urahara allowed them to borrow his wagon for Renji and Orihime to ride in. After dropping Orihime back off at the palace, the rest of them headed back home._

 _Along the way, they met up with Commander Zaraki and his group. Seeing Renji's patched up state, the commander pressed for details about what had happened. He quickly lost interest when he heard that not only had it been a mere thief, but that Renji hadn't even gotten his injuries from fighting with the man._

 _Over the next couple of years, Renji continued to improve under Captain Kurosaki's instruction. That was not to say that he always willingly did as the captain said. He was a teenager, after all, and the urge to push back against authority figures was at times too strong to suppress. When Captain Kurosaki was brought up on charges for killing Commander Ginjou, Renji was deeply affected. However, even without being told by the captain about the commander's treason, while Renji was still grateful to the man for saving his life all those years ago, he had long since ceased to respect Ginjou as a person due to his arrogant and egotistical ways._

 _If Renji did sometimes resent being told what to do by Captain Kurosaki, now it wasn't because the man was an 'elite'. Also, Renji's bad temper didn't usually last long because he would quickly remember the image of a man looking him the eyes as he thanked him along with a woman of immense beauty smiling kindly at him as she did the same..._

Looking next to her where Renji in his baboon form was sitting, Rukia said quietly, "That was a good story. Thank you for telling me."

Rukia stared at her hand which was once again clasped in Renji's and the thought that if she failed tomorrow, if they didn't die, everyone would still be separated by the curse. She may be able to hold Renji's real hand for part of the day, but none of the others would have that same small comfort.

Reaching over to clasp Rukia's other hand between her own, Orihime said earnestly, "Rukia, I am so happy to have met you. No matter what happens tomorrow, please don't forget that."

Feeling a lump form in her throat, Rukia nodded and allowed the woman to gently pull her down so that she was lying next to her. With Renji still holding her hand and patting it affectionately and Orihime gently stroking her hair, Rukia fell asleep.

 **Author's Note:**

Oww...my brain...I've never written anything that long I think...

Anyway, two more chapters and this is done. Here we go.


	14. 13: Infiltration and Confrontation

Just before dawn, Rukia woke up, got ready and quietly slipped out of the camp. Before she left, Yoruichi gave her a silent nod of encouragement as a send-off. Rukia tried not to think of it as a 'farewell' gesture of sorts.

Following the instructions that both Kisuke and Captain Kurosaki had given her over the past few days, Rukia made her way towards the large structure. As it loomed over her, Rukia couldn't help but stare up at the impressive stone wall and gulp involuntarily. Then, giving herself a physical and mental shake, Rukia focused her attention on the part of the wall she could actually reach.

It took her a little bit, but Rukia finally found a bit of a weakness. Truthfully speaking, it wasn't much of a weakness, more of an opening just big enough for her to pass through. It was a grate through which a river flowed and that the fortress used as their water source. Had an army tried to siege the fortress, they may have tried to gain access through the grate, but they would have had to tear it open or something like that which would have also drawn attention to what they were doing. Being so petite and slender, Rukia was able to slip through the bars with only a little bit of trouble when it came to her shoulders and hips.

"Guess I'm not a complete stick figure then," mumbled Rukia to herself once she got past the grate before falling silent again. The last thing she needed was for her chatter to draw the attention of a guard and get herself caught.

Pulling herself out of the river, Rukia found herself in an underground chamber that was filled with large pots. Taking the lids off one of the pots, Rukia sniffed and dipped her hand inside to find out that each pot contained water from the river.

"They probably leave the water down here to keep it chilled until they need it," thought Rukia to herself.

Looking around, Rukia saw a staircase leading up to a door. Going up and testing the door, Rukia wasn't entirely surprised to discover that it was locked. Gnawing her lips as she tried to come up with a plan, Rukia's gaze fell once again to the pots of water.

"Could be some harm in trying," Rukia thought, "but it's not like I have much of a choice," before she went back down and walked over to one of the pots that was close to the river's edge, but also in the first row of pots.

Once again, Rukia lifted the lid off the pot, only this time she pushed against it, trying to tip it over. It was heavier than Rukia anticipated and so she pushed a little harder only to have the pot nearly crash into the floor before she caught it. She allowed a good amount of the water to flow out before setting it upright again. Then, taking a deep breath for no other reason than to brace herself for what she was about to do, Rukia climbed into the pot and pulled the lid over the top.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rukia heard the door above unlock and open to let in several people, probably men if Rukia had to guess from the timbre of their garbled voices. Bracing her hands against the sides of the pot, Rukia closed her eyes and hoped against hope that they took her pot. The men all trooped out, grunting under the weight of their burdens...Rukia's pot not among those burdens.

Flopping against the back of the pot, Rukia began contemplating the possibility of her sneaking out of the pot and up the stairs since she was fairly certain that the men had not closed and locked the door behind them. Before she could execute this new plan, she heard sounds of the men returning and once again braced herself to be lifted. This time, they picked her pot up and it was all Rukia could do not to squeal in shock when they tipped the pot almost completely sideways one way and then the other in order to get their hands underneath it.

Trying to remain as still as possible and not feel sick to her stomach as the pot seemed to heave up and down and up and down and up and...Rukia again shook herself to bring her senses back into focus. Having no idea where her final destination might be, Rukia just hoped that her pot would be left unattended for a while so she could sneak out without detection. All of a sudden, the men carrying the pot came to a halt and again tipped the pot from side to side as they set it down.

"Well," thought Rukia darkly as she strained her ears to figure out where she might be and what was about to happen to her pot, "if that little dip in the river hadn't been enough to clean me off, this little trip sure has."

Her heart leaped as she caught the sound of retreating footsteps. Just to be on the safe side, Rukia counted slowly to sixty before ever so carefully lifting the lid just enough to peer out at her surroundings. For a moment, Rukia panicked when she saw trees everywhere, thinking that she had gone to all the trouble only to be transported outside the army headquarters. When she looked again, Rukia realized that it was the orchard inside the fortress. Closing her eyes, Rukia tried to focus her mind's eye on a memory of Captain Kurosaki and Urahara drawing her a map of the fortress in the dirt. They had explained the basic layout of the place to her so that when she found a way inside, she would be able to find her way around to the side entrance that she was supposed to open for them before 11 o'clock.

"Now, if I'm in the orchard..." Rukia thought slowly as she tried to relax her mind in order to see the image more clearly, "that means that the stables are going to be over on the right. So I'll sneak out of here and up to the hayloft to lay low until it's time."

Set in her new plan, Rukia carefully put it into action. Lifting the lid a bit more and seeing that there was no one around, Rukia quickly set it aside and clambered out of the pot as quickly and silently as she could. She had another brief moment of panic when her shimmying out nearly sent the lid toppling to the ground, but she managed to reach out and grab it before that could happen. Replacing the lid, Rukia crouched next to the pots and caste about her one last time before she dashed across the orchard.

Just as she was about to put on a huge burst of speed, Rukia's peripheral vision caught a bit of movement and she immediately whipped her head around to see what was coming. A man whom Rukia guessed was a gardener came striding across the orchard carrying a sizable watering can in one hand and some sort of packet in the other. Quickly, Rukia scurried around to the other side of the pots and flattened herself against them while trying to keep her breathing silent and even.

The man whistled tunelessly as he came over before he stopped and said, "Ah, the apples seem to be doing well. Not so the pears, unfortunately. May be the bugs again..."

Hearing the footsteps approaching the pots, Rukia closed her eyes and thought frantically, "Please don't see me. Please don't see me. Please don't see me. Please don't see me..."

There was the sound of the lid being lifted off a pot followed by a loud gasp and the man saying, "Well, I never..." and Rukia realized with a sinking feeling that out of all the pots he could have chosen, he managed to pick the very pot she had stowed away in.

"Of all the-" Rukia's began to think until she heard the man click his tongue and say in a disappointed tone, "How many times do I have to tell them not to bring me the water left over from washing? It really is rather vexing that they don't realize just how much water living things need to grow properly. Maybe they'll think twice about it if their beloved fruit pies no longer appear at evening meals..."

The man heaved a heavy sigh and Rukia heard the sound of something clanking against the inside of the pot. There was a soft grunt and then more clanking and she realized that the man must have lowered his watering can into the pot to fill it with water. A soft ripping noise followed by a quiet whooshing sound and Rukia realized that he must have opened his packet and was now pouring whatever it was into the watering can.

It was then that Rukia felt all her extremities begin to ache and burn from freezing in such an awkward position and she feared that at any moment now her legs would finally give out beneath her which would lead to her discovery and then-

"Hey! Commander Shunsui! You're supposed to be at morning muster right now!"

The man stopped what he was doing and replied in an airy tone, "Really? I didn't realize just how late it was. I'll be right there."

"General Yamamoto said to tell you that if you're late to morning muster one more time, he'll be forced to-"

"Very well, very well," said the man and Rukia heard the sound of what she assumed was the man setting aside his equipment, "We shan't keep the general waiting."

Waiting as long as she dared after the men's footsteps retreated, Rukia bolted to the right without stopping to look around and make sure she wouldn't be spotted. Seeing an open doorway, Rukia plunged through it and immediately caste her gaze about for the entrance to the hayloft. Heaving a sigh of relief, Rukia saw a ladder that went up to an opening in the ceiling and she scaled the ladder in no time at all. Deciding to take a chance at hiding under the hay near the opening that allowed her to see out into the compound, Rukia concealed herself as best she could and tried to calm to racing heart and frantic nerves. No need to freak herself out when she had a long wait ahead of her...

* * *

Outside headquarters, everyone else had taken up positions among the trees near the side door that Rukia had been instructed to open. Had the door simply been made of wood, the whole plan would have gone a lot smoother. As it was, the door was something of a marvel. To the average passer-by, they could walk by and never realize the door was there since it had been designed to blend in with the wall surrounding it. The stone on the outside was attached securely to a steel frame and four strong bolts securing it from inside. Short of ramming into it with a stout battering ram (and even then it would take more time and manpower than the group had to even make a dent in the door), the only way to open it was from the inside.

Looking over at his protege with his arms crossed and legs bouncing with nervous energy, Ichigo called over softly, "Rukia's fine. If they had caught her, we would know."

Frowning, Renji whispered back, "We would?"

Nodding with conviction, the captain replied, "Yes, they would have sounded the alarm because someone had infiltrated headquarters."

"But...what if they caught her and are just keeping it quiet while they try to figure out what she was up to?" asked Renji in a tone that was a mixture of skepticism, concern and fear.

Urahara smiled as he shook his head and said, "If that were the case, the amount of wall guards would have increased and have been told to keep a lookout," pointing a finger, he said with a soft chuckle, "That one certainly wouldn't be allowed to nap while leaning against his pike."

Slipping noiselessly from his own hiding place, Chad joined Renji behind the huge tree the teenager was hiding behind and silently handed him a piece of wood. When Renji looked up at him curiously, Chad said under his breath, "To pass the time you could carve something small. Maybe give it to someone a little later."

Again, Renji frowned in confusion for a heartbeat or two before realizing what the man was implying. Ducking his head to hide the blush beginning to creep up his neck, Renji nodded and gratefully accepted Chad's carving knife to use. When his eyes connected with his friend's, Ichigo couldn't help the small grin that lightened his expression for a moment or two at the expression on Chad's face (one that was happy but that was also mixed with a bit of 'this-boy's-got-it-bad'). However, it was not to last as Ichigo then refocused his attention on his surroundings.

Several minutes passed with no change, until Ichigo heard a slight rustling off to their right. Once again making eye contact with Chad who gently nudged Renji to alert him, they all carefully laid their hands on their weapons concealed under their cloaks. Unconsciously holding his breath, Ichigo strained his ears and the next moment he heard two thuds on a hollow log in quick succession. At the sound everyone relaxed their tense muscles as they realized Yoruichi had just used the signal they had agreed upon before breaking camp that morning. Unbeknownst to Rukia, Yoruichi had relayed to Ichigo that she intended to watch over the girl and see that she made it inside without incident before carefully scouting around the outside to make sure they weren't hit with any surprises when they went inside. Like Tsukishima and Riruka not being there or something.

Even though he didn't hear her approach, when Ichigo turned his head he wasn't surprised to see the woman leaning against the tree next to him. What did surprise him was her expression, which was pinched, tense, displeased and maybe just a little bit irritated.

"What?" he whispered while feeling his stomach start to clench with unease.

Looking at each male in turn, Yoruichi reported, "Rukia made it in all right. She managed to squeeze herself through the river drain, so that's some good news first."

"And?" prodded Ichigo trying to keep his voice calm and level, "There's a problem, so what is it?"

Shaking her head, Yoruichi replied in a tone that matched Ichigo's own irritation level, "Of all the days he could possibly have chosen, looks like King Tamashi has apparently decided to make his quarterly inspection of headquarters today."

Closing his eyes, Ichigo allowed his head to fall heavily against the tree behind him. They had been planning on sneaking inside, locating Riruka, maybe spiriting her away somewhere secluded and dealing with the curse that way. Since they had no idea what her schedule for the day may be like, they couldn't come up with any specific ideas for locating her and there was a huge risk that she would be somewhere surrounded by people, but that was a risk they were willing to take as they had no other options. Now, they knew exactly where she was going to be during the solar eclipse, but there was no way they were going to be able to confront her privately. They were now going to have to literally face an army in order to accomplish their mission.

Just as his head started to veer towards thoughts of 'This is completely hopeless...', the memory of a pair of watery, silver gray eyes looking at him with such love and longing immediately snapped Ichigo back to attention. He'd known for a week that this plan was risky and definitely not guaranteed to work even if they did manage to get Riruka to look at them. But there was a chance. If he gave up here...Ichigo refused to let his thoughts wander down that path any further and instead forced himself to review the facts and think of a new plan.

Keeping his eyes closed, Ichigo massaged the bridge of his nose as he said quietly, "All right...Rukia's inside and she's going to let us in before noon. That gives us less than an hour to come up with something that hopefully will get us close to Riruka by the solar eclipse. With the king there, he'll meet with the commanders first and then head down to the training grounds just before noon like he always does to review the troops. So, everyone will be in the same place when the solar eclipse happens."

Looking around him, Ichigo asked, "Any ideas?"

A slow grin spreading across his face, Urahara said calmly, "I'm glad you asked..."

* * *

The hours crept by and at least three times Rukia just managed to catch herself before she fell asleep. While it may have been possible to eventually forgive herself had she not been able to find a decent opening into the fortress or if she had been caught, there was no way she would ever live down the shame of failing everyone simply because she got bored of waiting and fell asleep.

All at once, there was a flurry of activity in the stables, causing Rukia to panic for a bit as she worried about being discovered. However, she eventually realized that all the hustle and bustle had to do with tending to horses and whatnot that had just arrived and no one had any reason to come up to the hayloft.

While she didn't see the group arriving at the stables to have their horses tended to, Rukia certain saw them as they walked away. At first, she wondered if maybe one of those troops who had been out searching for Captain Kurosaki and the others had returned, but when the column of soldiers passed by her and she saw the emblem emblazoned on their cloaks, Rukia felt her stomach begin to roil and churn with anxiety. There was no mistaking the royal crest of the kingdom and while she had never before seen the king, he wasn't all that difficult to pick out as he passed by.

"Oh, for the love of seasoned meat..." muttered Rukia under her breath in awe and dread, "What're we going to do?"

Fortunately for her, the others outside had already come up with a solution. It wasn't fool-proof by any stretch of the imagination, but their plan never had been and like all of them had said and thought multiple times over the last week it wasn't like they had much of a choice. Do or die time.

Even with the entire fortress in something of an uproar over King Tamashi's unexpected arrival, Rukia's signal to go and open the door was still given: a loud booming noise from several large drums located in guard towers along the wall's ramparts to alert everyone that the afternoon meal would be ready within the hour. Only in this case, the meal would be postponed and everyone was expected to be lined up in formation on the training grounds for the king to inspect them all.

Flinching in surprise at the noise from the drums, Rukia remained where she was for a moment or two in dazed confusion until she realized with a jolt that she needed to get moving _**now**_. Brushing off as much straw from her hair and clothing as possible, Rukia knelt down next to the ladder and ever so carefully lowered her head through the opening to check and see if the coast was clear. If anyone had been in the stables, they would have been in for quite a shock to see a young, almost pixie-like, face with wide, violet eyes that seemed to take up half her head slowly emerging from the ceiling. Upside down, no less. As it was, Rukia was once again completely alone, besides the horses and livestock, of course. Very few of the animals even bothered to look at her, so absorbed were they with their food troughs in most cases.

Alighting on the floor, Rukia looked about her one last time and muttered under her breath, "Oh, don't mind me. I'll be out of your hair in a moment here." One cow with large brown eyes gave her a baleful, dumb glance while chewing its cud before slowly turning its head towards the closed stable door.

Shaking her head while grinning at the cow, Rukia nimbly jogged to the opposite end of the barn and cautiously opened the door to peer out. Seeing no one about, Rukia then focused her attention on the wall. It didn't take her long to locate the door there, but as she quickly approached it, once again her heart began to sink. The thing was absolutely enormous. How in the world was she supposed to open something that made her feel so minuscule in comparison?

For some reason, Rukia heard Renji's voice in her head say, "Yeah, so? Aren't most things bigger than you?"

Before she could become outrageously furious at the voice inside her head, Renji's imaginary voice then, for some reason, went on and added, "Nothing wrong with being small and fun-sized. It's how come you were the only one who stood a halfway decent chance of getting inside in the first place. Now, put that pretty little brain of yours to work and figure out a way to open this door. We can't do this without you. I can't-"

"All right, all right, already!" Rukia exclaimed in a furious whisper as she raised her hands automatically in front of her face to cover the blush starting to flood her cheeks...until she remembered once again that she was alone at the moment.

"Get a grip, will you?" she growled under her breath before Rukia looked up and more carefully assessed the door.

There were four bolts along the side that she would have to pull away. Two of them were within her reach while the other two were way over her head. Each looked to be about as thick as Captain Kurosaki's, or maybe even Captain Yasutora's, arm, so Rukia imagined they were fairly weighty to pull.

"Well, only one way to find out," muttered Rukia as she laced her fingers together and stretched them in front of her before using the part of the bolts jutting out from the frame as a kind of ladder to reach the topmost ones.

It was a bit of a stretch for the first one, but Rukia managed to get a good enough grip around the bottom to pull it out. Much to her surprise, the bolt slid out of its hole quite easily and she was so startled that she actually lost her footing and started falling to the ground. Instinctively, Rukia pushed herself away from the door frame and tumbled into the grass. Standing up, she felt a little banged up, but it was probably better than crashing head or back first into a steel frame.

"For crying out loud," Rukia whispered as she rolled her eyes, "of course the bolts would need to be easy to open and close. They're just big and heavy for when they're keeping the door closed and secure."

Stomping back over to the door, Rukia was able to open the other three bolts in a matter of seconds. Getting the door to open took a bit of effort initially, but once it was started, the huge contraption swung open almost of itself. Poking her head around, Rukia's eyes quickly scanned the area as she whistled two shrill yet soft notes, like a bird. Next moment, everyone emerged from their hiding places and swiftly yet silently raced towards the open door. Chad was once again carrying Orihime in his huge hands while Urahara and Renji led all the horses. Around the horses hooves, they had wound strips of cloth to try and deaden their footfalls as much as possible. Once everyone was inside, Yoruichi and Ichigo quickly re-bolted the door.

Turning around and scanning the grounds plus the wall top (the guard was leaning even more heavily on his pike now), when he was satisfied that they hadn't been spotted or noticed, Ichigo looked down at Rukia with just a hint of a grin as he said in a hushed tone, "Good work."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Rukia (for some reason) looked over at Renji, who grinned broadly at her and said, "Yeah. Couldn't have done it without you."

Immediately, Rukia remembered her earlier 'imaginary conversation' with Renji and before she was able to control her emotions, color flooded her cheeks and she whispered in a partially haughty, partially irritated tone, "I'm well aware of that fact, thank you very much," before turning her back on him with a huff.

"Huh? What'd I do?" Renji began in a tone fraught with desperate confusion before Urahara cut in breezily, "Well, on to the next step then. Can't dilly dally around here, now can we?"

Stealing a sideways glance at Renji, Rukia's heart did a sort of flop as she actually saw the almost 'kicked dog' expression on his face. Next moment, it had mostly vanished as he followed Urahara's lead and led their horses towards the stable. Trailing along behind the others, Rukia knew she was going to have to come up with some way to apologize to him. While it may not be very likely, she hoped that somehow she'd be able to do that out of earshot of everyone else. Much to her surprise, she got that very chance once they were all gathered within the stable.

Inside, Urahara passed the reigns of the horses he was leading over to Renji with a firm nod before heading out with the other adults to gather some items that they would need for their hastily constructed plan. Carefully, Chad laid Orihime in Rukia's hands with a small smile and then he too left.

Rubbing her hand gently over Orihime's feathers, Rukia looked over and saw Renji lead Uryu and Tatsuki into two empty stalls before relieving them of their other burdens and hanging their clothes on the stall doors. He then started to do the same with the pack horses, but he left their bridles and blankets alone. Brazo Gigante and Mugetsu were left as they were along with Yoruichi's own horse.

Trying and failing a couple of times, Rukia finally managed to say quietly, "I'm sorry."

Looking up at her in some surprise, Renji inquired with his eyes wide, "Huh? Did you say something?"

Her first instinct was to snap at him again, but Rukia stopped herself and took a few calming breaths. Renji wasn't trying to rub it in, he really and truly hadn't heard what she said and she needed to get a grip already.

Clearing her throat, Rukia looked him directly in the eye for as long as it took her to repeat, "I'm sorry," before dropping her gaze down to look at the hawk in her hands, who just so happened to be looking up at her, head tilted slightly to one side.

"Oh, don't worry about it," replied Renji in a sincere tone, "Everyone's on edge right now."

Just then, Urahara swept back into the room and said in a light tone, "Yes, that is true. Renji was so nervous not that long ago, so concerned about y-Oomph!"

To Rukia's amazement, Renji had bolted over to the man and actually clamped his hands over Urahara's mouth to stop him talking. Then, just as quickly as he had acted, Renji leaped away from Urahara as if he had been burned, his eyes wide and darting back and forth between Rukia and Urahara while his own visage started to color. Rukia could almost hear the gears in his head turning like crazy as he tried to think of some explanation for his actions. Even if she didn't have all the details, it didn't take her long to mentally piece together a fairly accurate assumption on what Urahara had been about to say and her reaction matched and even exceeded Renji's own.

Coming up behind her husband, Yoruichi gave the back of his head a less than gentle cuff as she muttered, "Honestly, I leave you alone for two minutes..."

Rubbing the back of his head ruefully, Urahara all but whined, "Why does my beloved always-" but he was once again interrupted, only this time by Ichigo as he returned, saying, "It's nearly time. We got everything?"

"Not quite," said a voice behind Rukia that she did not recognize. As her heart leaped at being startled, Rukia also noticed a slight shiver run up her spine as the deep baritone seemed to resonate within her. Taking a quick look at the others before turning around, Rukia saw varying degrees of shock mixed with wariness in their expressions, which obviously then heightened her own unease.

Turning around, Rukia automatically raised her gaze, but she found that she hadn't looked quite high enough to see the man's face, so she slowly lifted her eyes until she did. The man was tall (later on Rukia would compare and realize that Chad was actually taller than him), but it was his presence and aura that was so impressive. The dark brown eyes that were the same shade as his hair swept across the room and Rukia was sure that the man's gaze missed absolutely nothing. The corners of his mouth were uplifted and soft and almost congenial, but somewhere in the back of Rukia's mind she thought that he was, for lack of a better description, unsafe.

"Commander Aizen," said Ichigo in a tone to match the expression Rukia had seen on his face.

The words hung heavy in the air for a heartbeat before the commander's smile widened and his hands swept out as he said, "Well, it is good to see you all alive and well after all this time," then he held up a hand and continued in a soothing tone, "You have no need to be alarmed by my presence, Ichigo. Gin and I have come to offer our help to your cause."

Hearing the sound of someone stepping forward, Yoruichi's voice spoke next as she said, "I'm not going to bother asking if we can even trust you, but I will ask you one thing: what's in it for you?"

Chuckling, Aizen shook his head, saying, "As brutal and direct as I remember, Yoruichi."

"Just answer the question."

Sighing, Aizen replied, "I suppose there's just enough time to give you one of my reasons and you may take it for what it's worth," then he raised his gaze and his expression became serious as he said coolly, "I do not respect people who abuse power and authority. By slighting my captains, Tsukishima has also slighted me and I will not stand for that."

Composing his features once again into a calm facade, Aizen asked in a tone that was only half teasing, "Have I permission to join your cause now?"

Another pregnant pause before Ichigo said quietly and respectfully, "Thank you, Commander Aizen. Captain Ichimaru. We would appreciate your help."

His smile widening marginally and becoming a bit more genuine, Aizen said, "Good. Then why don't we quickly go over the major points of your plan and then we'll see how my men could figure into it."

Stepping forward with a smile to match Aizen's, Kisuke said, "Very well then. I assume you know that our overall goal is to get close enough to Riruka for her to see everyone in their human forms."

"I had my suspicions," replied Aizen.

"How?"

It took Rukia a few seconds to realize that she had been the one to ask the question. While her mouth had spoken before her brain had a chance to catch up, the next instant Rukia knew why she had asked. How could this man have possibly figured out everything, especially when he hadn't even been there when Riruka cast the spell? Or had he?

As if reading her thoughts, Aizen shook his head and said, "No, I was not there the night of Captain Kurosaki's disappearance, but it didn't take me long to put together one or two seemingly unrelated facts plus the others I have been able to glean in the last few weeks."

"What facts?" blurted Rukia again.

"Well, my dear, I'm not entirely sure we have the time," said Aizen as he looked back at someone.

Apparently, that someone was Kisuke, who said easily, "Oh, I think we can spare enough time to have you amaze us with your deductive skills, Sousuke."

Inclining his head, Aizen repeated, "Very well then," before returning his attention to Rukia and saying, "Firstly, I was actually with Tsukishima when he was tipped off about Captain Kurosaki's elopement."

Just before the stunned silence could be broken by angry outbursts, Aizen held up his hand and said, "It wasn't until the next day that I fully understood the significance of what we heard. Tsukishima and I were engaged in conversation when the boy who worked for Kisuke in his shop walked past us muttering to himself about getting ready before midnight and another word I didn't identify until later as 'ceremony'. At the time, I assumed that it had something to do with the shop."

Holding up a second finger, Aizen continued saying, "Secondly, the next day physicians were summoned to treat Riruka who was dangerously weak and feeble. Having a mage in my employ, I was able to identify the signs that the poor girl had cast an extremely powerful and taboo spell. She had been the picture of health at the evening meal the previous day, so I didn't believe it was problematic to assume that she had cast this spell late the previous night or early in the morning."

Raising another finger, Aizen said, "Thirdly, while I couldn't determine the exact nature of the spell, due to the fact that six people in total had gone missing and were now pronounced as traitors, I deduced that it had been powerful ensnare those who had disappeared."

Looking over at Kisuke, the commander then said, "In addition to Captain Kurosaki and his associates, the king also declared that mercy would be granted to those who came forward willingly and confessed to having aided the traitors."

"A kind offer, to be sure," said Kisuke in a breezy tone that didn't quite sound authentic to Rukia's ears, "but one I wasn't entirely interested in testing."

Lowering his hand and looking down at the hawk sitting quietly in Rukia's hands, Aizen said in a tone that could almost be described as 'soft', "And finally, while an honorable man takes excellent care of his animals, he does not risk his life and fight like a madman to save them when they are wounded in battle."

Gently clapping his hands together, Aizen returned his attention to the adults behind Rukia as he said in a more business-like tone, "Now then, if everyone is satisfied, shall we get to work?"

"Rukia."

Turning around, Rukia's eyes connected with Ichigo's and he said, "Please take Orihime into one of the stalls and lay her clothes out, then come see me for a few more instructions."

Nodding in agreement, Rukia did as she was told without question. As she finished arranging Orihime's dress and shoes within easy reach, Chad reentered the stable pulling a wagon behind him. Without a word, Chad took in the sight of Aizen and Ichimaru talking with Ichigo and Kisuke, but other than a momentary hesitation at the door, the large man showed no surprise at seeing his old commanding officers integrated into their group. Stepping forward, Renji assisted Chad in hitching the pack horses to the wagon and leading them outside, so Rukia assumed they would be using the wagon to transport everyone out onto the training grounds.

Coming up behind the group of men and Yoruichi, Rukia heard Kisuke say, "...so the big issue we have is separating Riruka from her squadron or at least getting close enough to her so that she can look at everyone clearly before the eclipse is over. Do you have any ideas for that?"

"I may have one or two," replied Aizen easily and with a grin to match, "Since my squadron will be assembled just across from Tsukishima's, Gin and a few others should be able to detain her without too much trouble after you all arrive. Correct?"

Answering the not-really-a-question, Gin inclined his head and said, "Nothing easier."

Looking over at Captain Kurosaki, Aizen said, "Well, Captain? Seems to me that there is something weighing on your mind."

Without lifting his gaze from his intertwined fingers, Ichigo said slowly, "There's just one thing I want to make sure we are all in agreement on before we do anything further."

"And what might that be, Ichigo?" asked Aizen evenly.

Lifting his gaze and making eye contact with each man in turn, Ichigo declared, "I'll be the first to admit that there have been times the last couple of years when I have been sorely tempted to make Tsukishima, Riruka and even in my wildest dreams Ginjou die slow and very painful deaths for what they've done to my friends, my wife and even selfishly myself."

With a light in his eyes that was partially commanding and partially pleading in a sense, Ichigo finished with, "However, our purpose today is to break a curse, not to carry out our own personal vendettas. We will defend ourselves and our comrades, but we will not shed blood unless there is absolutely no other choice. Are we all of the same mind in this?"

Laying a hand on Ichigo's shoulder as he came up behind his friend, Chad's answer didn't need to be spoken aloud. Same went for Renji, who nodded once in absolute agreement with his superior officer's words. Yoruichi folded her arms and arched an elegant eyebrow at Ichigo as if to say 'Isn't the answer obvious?', but Rukia had the feeling that the question hadn't really been directed to any of them. She was right.

Aizen said in a low, serious and what Rukia might describe as a 'sincere' tone, "Any outbreak of violence, justified or otherwise, will be dealt with most severely when this situation is handled. You have my word."

For a time, Ichigo and Aizen held each other's gaze until finally the former nodded in acquiescence and the superior turned to his subordinate and said simply, "Return to the others and inform them of what they need to know. I will be along shortly," to which Gin replied with a nod of his own and rose to his feet. As he turned to leave, Gin paused just long enough for one of his long, trailing sleeves to pass over Ichigo's hands. Immediately, Rukia's keen eye noticed the man nimble fingers slip a small piece of paper to the captain before blandly leaving the stables.

"It's about time," said Kisuke quietly, "We should get going."

Even still, no one moved right away until finally, Ichigo rose to his feet, turned and held out his hand to Aizen as he said, "No matter what happens, Commander-" but Aizen interrupted him, saying mildly, "Think that way, Captain, and the battle is lost before it even begins."

Taking Ichigo's outstretched hand, the commander said with a slight grin, "Give my regards to your wife when you see her next," and before Ichigo could recover himself enough to respond, the older man strode out of the stable.

Several seconds passed before Ichigo turned as if remembering Rukia was behind him and saying, "Right. Here, take this."

Looking down at her hands, Rukia felt the breath stick in her throat as she saw the long dirk sitting in them. Carefully wrapping her fingers around the handle, she instinctively knew that the grip was perfectly suited for her small hands and something told her that the blade's balance would be the same. It wasn't fancy or elaborate, but it was well-crafted and that's what really mattered.

The captain's voice cut through her reverie as he said, "There are two things you need to remember whenever you draw this blade. Because of the length of the blade, it is used predominately for defense and not offense. Should you need to use it, your opponents will definitely be taller and stronger than you are in addition to having longer arms and blades, so don't think for a second that you stand a chance if you try and go on the offensive. Knock their blades away with your speed and cunning and then get away from them as fast as you can. Don't let them back you into a corner. Got it?"

"Got it," replied Rukia before she asked, "And what's the second thing?"

Solemnly wrapping his fingers around Rukia's where she was still holding the handle, Ichigo said gravely, "Even in self-defense, do not draw this blade lightly. I'd rather you run away from the battlefield and never look back rather than use the dirk or any other weapon in a fit of uncontrolled emotion. Do you understand?"

Frowning up at the captain, Rukia shook her head and said honestly, "No, I don't," but before Ichigo had a chance to respond and maybe explain, Kisuke called from outside more insistently, "It's starting!"

Shaking his head, Ichigo firmly yet carefully gripped Rukia's shoulders and said, "I said I had some instructions for you, so here they are: I would like for you to remain by Orihime's side. You and Renji. Would you do that for me, please?"

Without a second thought, Rukia answered with, "Yes," to which Ichigo responded with a small, sincere grin of gratitude before walking over to collect the horses still outfitted with saddles and leading them outside. Hearing shuffling and clicking behind her, Rukia guessed that the others had just transformed and were changing into their clothes as quickly as possible. Tatsuki and Uryu were first out and ready, but even with her injury, Orihime was done about ten seconds after them. With every second being precious, Rukia merely gestured for them all to follow her outside, which they did in similar silence.

Stepping out, when everyone was finally face-to-face with those they hadn't seen in over two years, it wasn't surprising that it took a moment or two for them all to remember exactly how to breathe, let alone what their true objective was. It was Yoruichi who finally broke the stalemate as she gently took Orihime's hand and drew her up and into the back of the wagon before climbing over to sit in the front seat beside her husband who was to drive. Uryu climbed in next and as Rukia began to follow, her handhold slipped, but before she could tumble gracelessly to the ground, the solemn man grabbed one of her hands and pulled while Renji tucked his hand under her armpit and pushed her up into the wagon. With a sheepish yet grateful half-grin at both of them in turn, Rukia took her place at Orihime's side while also gripping the side of the wagon.

The moment of truth had finally arrived. There was no turning back.

* * *

The mandatory royal inspections were routine and as such mind-numbingly boring. A good number of soldiers had even developed the uncanny ability of napping while standing at attention with their eyes wide open. As a result, those who arrived on the training grounds fully expecting another typical inspection were in for a rude awakening. Quite literally in some cases, as it turned out.

Some of the more observant in the ranks noticed the change in the sky and surreptitiously elbowed their mates to make them aware of the eclipse. When the sky got a little darker, even King Tamashi looked up briefly, but then doggedly continued on with his royal duty.

Everything after that happened so quickly that those standing the back had to have events explained to them later on since they hadn't been able to actually see any of it.

It started with a rumbling noise. Most common soldiers (and even a few higher ranking officers who weren't particularly bright) looked up at the sky expecting to see dark clouds. Those few who were smart and quick enough to realize what the noise actually was, allowed their hands to drift towards their swords. However, none of the commanding officers gave any sort of command and as such none of the troops moved a muscle, so well-trained were they. The only exception was one man who stepped away from his squadron towards where the king sat atop his own magnificent steed.

"What do you want, Traitor Kurosaki?" called Tsukishima in a scathing tone, "Come to finish what you failed to do all those years ago? To kill the king?"

"I didn't come here to kill the king, or you or anyone else for that matter," Ichigo replied as he drew Mugetsu to a stop, "I came to right a wrong done to my comrades, my wife and myself."

"What are you going on about?" retorted Tsukishima in an almost taunting manner as he stalked towards Ichigo, "Where is this wife of yours?"

Due to the fact that he was on foot and that he was focusing all his attention on Ichigo, it wasn't until the wagon came to a stop slightly behind the captain that Tsukishima took a chance and glanced away from his hated enemy at the wagon's occupants. While the sun was currently unable to illuminate all of his features, it wasn't difficult to imagine the shocked and baffled expression quickly morphing into one of contempt and loathing from Tsukishima's posture and stance.

For the first time, King Tamashi spoke in a sonorous, monotone, "Captain Tsukishima, you are to arrest these traitors at once. Use all necessary force to apprehend them."

"With pleasure, my king," replied Tsukishima in a tone that did nothing to mask the relish he would take in his assignment.

Stepping forward, Commander Aizen bowed and said quickly yet firmly, "Your Majesty, I implore you to hear Captain Kurosaki's and his companions' stories before you pass judgement on their actions. Their motives for disappearing and running away were merely out of self-preservation and not treason as this man would have you believe."

"Those who have no guilt to hide have no need to run from their actions," answered the king coldly, "Had they returned within a fortnight after running, I would have shown them mercy and merely banished them from the kingdom. As it stands now, they deserve no such consideration and will be condemned accordingly."

Shifting in his saddle to sit in a more regal and haughty manner, King Tamashi looked down his nose at the commander as he said, "And from your words, I am forced to realize that you are also implicated in this treasonous affair. As such, I hereby find you guilty and order any man who is still faithful to his oath as a soldier of this kingdom to arrest you."

"Very well then," said Aizen as he raised his hand to signal his men, "It is regretful that it has come to this."

"Wait!" called Ichigo as he fairly leaped from his horse and strode forward a few paces to kneel in the dirt and say in an almost desperate tone, "As a former soldier in the king's army, I demand the right to prove the innocence of my companions by combat. Their actions were dictated by my orders and as such they deserve leniency."

Gripping her husband's wrist, Yoruichi whispered furiously at her husband, "Stop him! This wasn't part of the plan."

Laying his hand gently over hers, Kisuke replied solemnly, "No, but there is no other choice. It was probably part of his plan all along, anyway."

Before the king could approve or disprove of Ichigo's claim, Tsukishima drew his sword and shouted, "I accept!" and charged at his still kneeling enemy.

Not having enough time to rise to his feet and draw his own sword, Ichigo yanked a knife from his belt instead in order to halt the descent of Tsukishima's blade, which had been about to sweep down and through his chest cavity. Placing his opposite hand against the blade for more leverage, Ichigo pushed back against Tsukishima's blade and kept them at a stalemate for a full three seconds before performing an odd sort of twist that sent his opponent slamming into the dirt, which then gave Ichigo time to jump to his feet and draw his own sword. Ignoring the blood dripping from his left hand, Ichigo gripped the sword handle firmly with both his hands and was fully prepared for Tsukishima's next attack.

While the two combatants clashed and crashed their swords, Orihime had decided to get out of the wagon in order to be as close to her husband as possible. The others had naturally followed suit. To Rukia's immense embarrassment, she somehow managed to get her foot caught in a little rabbit hole and would have face-planted in the dirt had not Chad and Tatsuki each grabbed one of her arms and hauled her upright.

Testing her weight on her foot, Rukia mumbled, "I'm fine, thanks," and managed to keep her steps mostly even as she trailed behind Orihime. So absorbed were they all with the fatal dance unfolding before them that they failed to notice Gin and several others approaching them from the side.

"Excuse me," said Gin pleasantly, "I believe bringing this particular young lady over to see you all was part of my orders, correct?"

Even if Gin's tone was gentle and conversational, his grip on one of Riruka's arms was firm and unrelenting while another soldier held the other just as fast. Not that the woman looked as though she was putting up much resistance, she looked almost haggard and dangerously thin, but Rukia also saw Riruka's hands twitching and clenching in a way that made her slightly nervous and grateful for the men's precautions.

True to form, as soon as Orihime looked over and saw Riruka's state, her hand flew to her mouth and she said in a pitying tone, "Oh, Riruka..." however, any further words she might have said were interrupted when Ichigo let out a yell.

In the few moments they had taken their attention away from the fight, the unthinkable had happened. After Ichigo had managed to disarm and force Tsukishima to his knees in a clear sign of victory, a young cadet had broken from the ranks of Tsukishima's squadron and raced forward to plunge his sword into Ichigo's back. Reacting instinctively, Ichigo dove to the side and managed to avoid the worst of the blow, but the blade had still managed to slice a sizable wound along his rib cage.

Drawing his own blade, Renji charged forward, shouting, "Moe! You treacherous little-" and that was as far as he got before crossing swords with the other cadet.

While Ichigo tried to hold one hand over his wound to staunch the steady flow of blood, he dug the point of his sword into the earth to try and rise to his feet as he saw Tsukishima scramble over to grip his own sword again. With a scream of rage, frustration, defiance and desperation at this entire situation, Rukia's feet pounded against the ground as she rushed forward to defend the captain against his dishonorable opponent. Reaching out to try and grip Rukia's shoulder to stop her headlong dash, when she missed Orihime lifted her skirts and ran after the girl in an effort to stop her.

" ** _Enough!_** " echoed the king's voice and everyone froze where they were.

Pausing long enough to be sure he had everyone's attention, King Tamashi repeated in his former sonorous tone which now also contained a hint of righteous fury, "Enough! Captain, you have carried on with your rebellious and treasonous acts long enough! I hereby order you and your comrades to submit yourselves immediately into the hands of my commander and pay the price for your misconduct!"

During this time, the moon had moved so that it was covering barely a quarter of the sun at this point.

Throwing his sword to one side while still remaining in a kneeling position, Ichigo said, "Your Majesty, I willingly accept any punishment you see fit to give me, but let my comrades and my...my wife go free. They have done no wrong other than to follow me. Please, I beg you to show them mercy."

Shaking his head, the king replied, "And as I have stated before, had they come to me long ago in search of my mercy, I would have pardoned them."

"We were running for our lives!" screamed Tatsuki with her fists clenched at her sides, "For two years we've been bound by a curse Riruka cast on us after she and Tsukishima found us and tried to kill us all in cold blood! For two years we have been forced to take on the forms of animals and hunted as if we were the same!"

"And what evidence do you have to support such a wild claim as this?" inquired the king.

The eclipse ended at that moment.

"Ichigo..."

Everyone's eyes turned towards Orihime, but not because she had just said her husband's name. Rather it was because a golden light had begun to engulf her.

"No...no!" cried Ichigo in a horrified whisper.

"Ichigo..." Orihime repeated as the tears began to shimmer and fall from her eyes while reaching out her hand towards her husband.

For the first time, Ichigo's eyes also began to fill and spill over as he mirrored Orihime's movements and choked out, "Orihime...please, no."

Their dearest, most ardent wish had come to nothing. They had failed.

 **Author's Note:**

One more.

Don't have much to say about this other than I'm not entirely satisfied with it and it took me quite some time because there were certain elements that just didn't seem to flow right. However, while I may edit the middle at a later date more to my satisfaction, the ending is exactly how I wanted things to turn out, so now it's on to the last chapter.


	15. 15: Endings and Beginnings

"But...why?"

While Tatsuki's confused protestation was barely above a whisper, it was loud enough to catch Rukia's attention. Turning her head, Rukia realized that Orihime was the only one on the verge of actually transforming once again. Tatsuki and Uryu were perfectly fine.

'Til her dying day, Rukia was never able to explain why she did what she did since at that moment her mind was a complete blank. On the other hand, if she had been in control of her mental and physical faculties, Rukia more than likely would not have made it in time. As it was, the girl tossed away her dirk, grabbed Orihime's hand (which was already beginning to shrink and sprout feathers), hauled the woman to her feet (the lady had sunk to her knees as the finality of their imminent separation had become glaringly apparent) and pulled her forward the final few steps to reach out and grab an astonished Ichigo's outstretched hand. There was a definite tingling sensation when Rukia touched Orihime's skin and she panicked momentarily when her vision narrowed slightly and became unfocused. Gritting her teeth, though, Rukia plunged ahead to fulfill her mission and fulfill it she did.

The girl with the raven black hair succeeded in bridging the gap between the two separated lovers. The spell was now fully broken. They were free.

Absolute silence reigned for the space of about ten seconds, everyone trying to process what they had just witnessed and most almost instinctively afraid that if they moved or spoke, it would upset the balance of things as they were now. Finally, it was Rukia who broke the standstill by carefully releasing her grip on the adults' hands enough to gently tug them closer to each other and placing their hands one of top of the other. Both flinched slightly at the contact, but made no move to pull away when Rukia carefully withdrew her own hands and took a step back.

Ichigo and Orihime stared openly at their hands for a time before Ichigo slowly raised his thumb until it was hovering over Orihime's fingers and then lowered it just as gingerly. When her hand did not vanish at his touch, Ichigo made a kind of choking sound in his throat and deliberately yet haltingly raised his wife's hand high enough to gently brush his chapped lips against her knuckles.

"Ichigo," repeated Orihime for the third time in as many minutes, only this time in a tone that held none of the previous sorrow and heartbreak.

With her hand still pressed against his lips, Ichigo raised his gaze to Orihime's, but was unable to see her face for long as the tears began to flow anew. As he allowed their intertwined hands to drift down until they were resting on his lap, Ichigo's head fell forward so that his chin nearly touched his chest. Hesitating at first, Orihime reached up to wrap her free arm around Ichigo's shoulders and draw him towards her until the top of his head met her heart center. She then bent her head over his and once again allowed her own tears to fall.

They remained in that attitude for a heartbeat or two before Orihime turned her head enough to look at Rukia and give her the best smile she could muster at the moment as she carefully freed her hand from Ichigo's grasp and held it out to the girl. There was no hesitation on Rukia's part as she flung herself on the ground and wrapped her arms as far around Orihime as she could reach. For her part, Rukia didn't shed any tears, but there was a sizable lump in her throat and her body trembled as she felt the lady return her embrace.

Actually, Rukia probably wouldn't have shed a tear if Ichigo, in a gruff and hoarse tone, and Orihime, in a soft one, hadn't said simultaneously, "Thank you." The words pierced straight through to the girl's heart and she could feel the tears surge up from the very depths of her being (or so it seemed) and pool in her eyes, ready to spill over.

And actually, just as she was about to start crying for one of the first times in her life (certainly the first time in front of the captain and everyone else), Rukia was rudely interrupted by the king's voice saying in that same cold voice, "Arrest them."

This time it was Yoruichi who roared furiously at the monarch, "You can't be serious! Didn't you see her glowing like that? Beginning to transform?"

"I have no need nor desire to explain myself to anyone a third time," replied the king dispassionately and with a possible undertone of disdain, "I will not have disorder and dissension in my kingdom. Tsukishima, arres-"

"This is the word of your king," Aizen interjected in a voice that seemed as though he were merely speaking, but that carried easily to the ear of most every person present, "In the face of irrefutable evidence, he chooses punish an innocent man and those he cares about rather than admit to having been in error. And King Tamashi will inflict this punishment in full view of many who have seen and witnessed the kind of man Captain Kurosaki truly is because this king believes that his authority is absolute and not to be questioned."

"Commander Aizen, are you-"

Again, Aizen interrupted the king as he said, "Yes, I am speaking treason. I speak treason against a king who refused to allow a captain of his army to stand trial for his supposed crimes or to even spare enough time to listen to his reasons as to why he did not come forward before this day.

"I speak treason against a king who, while maybe not condoning a duel to determine the innocence of the others involved in this matter, allowed it to continue and then when it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that your trusted Commander Tsukishima was little more than a dishonorable wretch, this king still refused to grant the clear winner his one, selfless request."

"Aizen, you will be-"

"I speak treason against a king who forcibly engaged a young woman to a lackey of yours even when she had already pledged her hand to another she truly loved.

"I speak treason against you, King Tamashi, who not only ignored Captain Kurosaki's pleas for mercy this day, but also those of his family and the family of those who disappeared with him."

While Aizen had been speaking, Ichigo, Orihime and Rukia had straightened up to look at the commander (Orihime still kept her arms around the other two) and when Aizen said the last statement, Rukia felt both the adults jolt slightly. They had probably assumed that their families wouldn't take their disappearance and declaration of being traitors to the crown lightly, but believing something and actually having it be confirmed are two different things. But it was about to get much worse.

"I accuse you, King Tamashi, of turning a blind eye as Commander Tsukishima and his subordinates attacked Lord Inoue and razed his lands in an effort to either squeeze information out of him as to his sister's whereabouts or to potentially draw the lady and the others out of hiding."

"S-Sora..." Orihime half-gasped, half-choked out, "Sora, no...please, no."

Now it was Ichigo and Rukia's turn to encircle and support her with their arms as Orihime clamped her hands over her mouth and closed her eyes as a fresh round of tears began to fall. Looking down at Orihime, Ichigo's expression was torn between empathy and helplessness over her grief, rage at the injustice that had been done to her only living relative and panic as he considered what might have been done to his own family.

As if sensing Ichigo's unspoken sentiments, Aizen paused in his rant long enough to look over and say in a more sympathetic tone, "While he was sorely and severely injured, Lord and Lady Kurosaki rescued Lord Inoue from the wreckage and tended to his wounds. Due to their prestige within the noble families and their popularity with the common folk, the king left your family alone, Captain Kurosaki. No harm has come to any of them."

Turning back to the king sitting atop his high horse, Aizen's voice once again became authoritative and rather accusatory as he said, "I accuse you, King Tamashi, of also endangering the life of Lady Rangiku Matsumoto-Ichimaru when palace guards pressed her for information regarding her long-time friend and fellow trainer of ladies-in-waiting, Yoruichi Urahara. During the course of her so-called 'questioning', the lady stumbled and fell down a flight of stairs, killing the unborn child within her."

Rukia sensed more than heard Yoruichi's gasp of shock and horror at the commander's words. Looking over, she saw Yoruichi stand up in the wagon and Kisuke reached out to tenderly take her hand. She made no move to pull it away.

Turning her attention to Gin, Rukia did a double-take as he seemed completely unaffected by Commander Aizen's accusation about Rangiku, still standing there and restraining Riruka with a slight grin on his face. Dropping her gaze to his hands, Rukia then thought she saw them twitch and tremble slightly before once again going still. Returning her attention to the man's face, while she couldn't be sure at this distance, Rukia was fairly certain she saw a slight glimmer fall from his left eye, but since there was no tear track left behind she couldn't be sure.

Aizen allowed the allegations to hang heavy in the air long enough for everyone to properly process each of them before saying, "You may well dismiss all my charges as fanciful since I have no hard evidence as such to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are guilty of these crimes. However, this next charge I lay before you is not hindered by similar drawbacks."

"And what charge might that be?" inquired the king in a stony voice.

Shifting his weight forward, Aizen seemed to wait until he had everyone (besides the king and Tsukishima) waiting with bated breath for his pronouncement before he finally declared in his former, resonant tone, "Of neglecting your responsibilities as king to not only rule over the people, but to actually make decisions that will better the lives of all rather than the few you favor. I do not mean to say that you favor the aristocracy over the peasantry because as has already been revealed," Aizen gestured broadly towards those he had mentioned previously, "there are those among the nobles whom you have severely wronged by your negligence and injustice. I have mentioned a mere three examples, but I could provide at least twenty similar instances from the past ten years alone."

Allowing his arms to slowly return to his side, Aizen said, "Those who blindly follow your commands and never question the wisdom of your decisions on behalf of this country are bestowed with your favor. You may be king by birthright, but you are not fit to be this country's ruler."

A tense silence followed Aizen's treasonous declaration until King Tamashi asked slowly, "And would you have anarchy instead, Aizen?"

Shaking his head in a deliberate manner, Aizen replied, "Absolutely not. Humanity requires law and order to function at its full potential. That is what I desire for this country and that is what these men," Aizen once again gestured broadly at those who still remained in perfect formation around them, "all swore an oath to uphold."

Pointing an unwavering finger at the monarch, Aizen intoned, "It is you, King Tamashi, who has failed by ignoring the vows you pledged to uphold when you were crowned king of this country."

"Your Majesty, if I may," interjected a gruff voice from an elderly man who took three steps away from his regiment before bowing his head respectfully to his king while waiting to be acknowledged or dismissed.

With a wave of his hand, the king replied tersely, "Speak, General Yamamoto."

Lowering his head a little further before straightening himself up and looking at Aizen with a fierce glower, General Yamamoto said, "Commander Aizen, I hear these subversive words falling from your lips and yet I know you to be a man of wisdom and knowledge. I also know when you do choose to speak your true mind it is always because you have a particular motive or intention behind it."

When the general paused for a time, Aizen inclined his head and said with a slight smile, "And you are wondering what my intentions might be since by accusing the king of these heinous crimes, I am drawing ever closer to the executioner's block."

Reaching up to brush a lock of dark brown hair from his eyes, Aizen continued, saying in a roundabout manner, "Some time ago, there were rumors of someone of considerable rank communicating with King Barragan of Hueco Mundo and attempting to create an alliance of some sort with him."

Dark eyes sparking in satisfaction as he looked directly into King Tamashi's own, Aizen declared confidently, "Those rumors I can now reveal to be absolute truth as I was the one who made the agreement with King Barragan. Even as we speak, the armies of Hueco Mundo should be entering our borders and making their way towards the Soul Palace."

Even though the king's expression became pale due to his absolute outrage, it was General Yamamoto who demanded, "Why are you doing this, Aizen? What can you possibly hope to gain by betraying your king and country in this atrocious manner?"

Ignoring the general's questions, Aizen stared down the king as he said, "I give you this ultimatum, King Tamashi. You may execute me along with my men and these innocent people whom you and your subordinates have made to suffer for the past two years and then turn your attention to the Hueco Mundo armies bearing down on you. However, I warn you that in addition to brokering this agreement, I have also supplied King Barragan with valuable information regarding the size of your own armies as well as how best to cut off supply lines to army headquarters and your own palace. I have no doubt that my comrades will fight bravely, but make no mistake, they will be defeated in the end. Or..."

For a third time, Aizen waited for the better part of ten seconds before he said carefully, "Or, you can choose to avoid the needless slaughter of the majority of your soldiers and abdicate the throne. Should you choose to leave peacefully, those to whom you have shown favor will also be allowed to leave with you unharmed along with anyone else who wishes."

As the king began opening his mouth to reply, Aizen interjected in a flat tone, "Just remember, my liege," there may have been a hint of sarcasm in his tone as he said the word, "that these soldiers have witnessed how you treat honorable and dishonorable men. I wouldn't make a decision based on the assumption that these men are witless, heartless and willing to blindly follow you into an avoidable confrontation with a superior army simply because of your title.

"So, what will you choose? To selfishly cling to something you have never tried to earn or deserve? Or, for once, will you put the good of your own people above your pride?"

There was another lengthy pause before the king drew himself up again in his saddle, narrowed his eyes at Aizen, slowly urged his horse forward and rode silently away. Without a sound, Aizen's soldiers surrounded Tsukishima's regiment and effectively prompted them to march behind their disgraced sovereign. At least, that is how things progressed for about twenty seconds.

Suddenly yanking his horse about, King Tamashi bellowed, "Tsukishima!" and the commander needed no further prompting. Snatching a short javelin from a nearby soldier still standing in formation, Tsukishima whirled about and hurled the weapon with all his strength at his hated enemy, who was still kneeling with his arms encircling his wife and the girl who had saved them both. Immediately, Ichigo shoved Orihime and Rukia to the ground before forcing himself to rise and become their shield. This time, some soldiers also broke formation and attempted to do something, anything for their endangered comrade. The rest remained frozen in shock and disbelief.

Had it not been for two individuals in particular, the king would have gotten his way and Tsukishima would have finally triumphed over Ichigo.

The first javelin was intercepted in mid-air by Renji. With an almost inhuman leap, Renji attempted to grab the projectile and halt its progress. The latter, Renji managed to accomplish, but the former he did not. Misjudging the javelin's trajectory, Renji's hands wrapped around the shaft just as it began to enter his right shoulder. Propelled backward by the force of the javelin, Renji didn't even have time to cry out in pain before the air was slammed out of his lungs when he crashed to earth.

Apparently having foreseen some sort of interference with his first attempt, Tsukishima had already yanked another javelin away from its owner and was just beginning to take aim when Chad's fist sent him flying back at least five feet. While he would have landed on his own soon enough, Tatsuki sped up that process a bit by ramming her fist into Tsukishima's middle as he was about to sail past her. Even had he not already been dazed by Chad's blow, it is highly unlikely that Tsukishima would have been able to do much more than wheeze piteously after hitting the ground with such force.

Wiggling and squirming frantically from under Orihime, Rukia tripped and clambered her way over to Renji's side, scarcely able to draw a breath herself as she took in the sight of the awful javelin that almost seemed to sprout from the boy's body. It reminded her strongly of...

"Renji!" cried Rukia hoarsely as she got closer, "Renji, say something! Please!"

Before she could throw herself onto the ground beside him, a pair of arms wrapped around her torso and forcibly pulled her away. Sensing rather than seeing a sharp, pointy object rapidly approaching her throat, Rukia's emotions reached a boiling point and she lashed out at her attacker with every survival skill she had ever learned while living on the streets. Starting with kicking, wiggling and scratching, Rukia was about to escalate to biting when the arms fell away and she whirled around, quickly looked up to acquire her targets, curled her fingers into a tight fist and gave Cadet Shishigawara two swift punches to the nose and jaw. Then as the cadet began crumbling to his knees, in a highly vindictive move, Rukia swung her leg forward and up between the boy's legs. Again, like his commander, the boy might have groaned in agony had he been cognizant enough to actually realize what had just happened.

Feeling no more guilty for what she had done than if she had squashed a cockroach, Rukia whirled back around and felt the air she was inhaling expand and create a huge lump in her throat as her eyes connected with Renji's. His face was pale and his expression rather pained as he tried to breath deeply and yet shallowly at the same time. However, there was no denying the amazement in Renji's eyes as he gazed up at Rukia.

"Well then..." he grunted, causing Rukia to snap out of her stupor and fulfill her original intent of kneeling next to Renji.

As she was joined by both Ichigo and Orihime, Commander Aizen called out to King Tamashi, "Oh, and one more thing, Your Majesty. For all that you have considered Ichigo to be a traitor and a murderer since the day he defended himself against Commander Ginjou, he would have proven more true and faithful a soldier than Tsukishima, who was actually the one who conspired to have you murdered by those bandits. One of the only reasons Tsukishima didn't make another attempt on your life was because he knew that the only way he would have any hope of exacting revenge on the captain was to remain in your good graces.

"Yet another miscalculation on your part, I'd say..."

* * *

Those not occupied with escorting the fully vanquished king and his cohorts to whatever fate might have in store for them, depending on their rank the soldiers left behind did one of two things. Commanders and a number of captains congregated around Aizen to further 'discuss' (which meant Aizen talked some more and the others listened some more...although to be fair, there were a number of them who were still on the fence about actually following whatever Aizen's plan might be) their next steps in handling the Hueco Mundo armies and who would ascend to the throne now that their king had abdicated. Everyone else surrounded Ichigo and his companions both out of curiosity as well as with a desire to be helpful in some way no matter how small.

"Back off!" growled Tatsuki, "Let the wagon through! He needs to be treated, so quit gawping and move!"

"Captain Kurosaki, sir," said one soldier with a respectful salute, "Please let us help Cadet Abarai into the wagon."

Looking up and recognizing the young man, Ichigo nodded slowly as he said, "Yes, Lieutenant Izuru. I'd appreciate it."

As he stood up, Ichigo took Orihime's hand and pulled her up before drawing her against his side. Glancing down at Rukia and seeing the stubborn glint in her eyes and set of her jaw, Ichigo knew there would be no reasoning with the girl to leave Renji's side. Seeming to realize Rukia's intentions as well, Renji's right hand twitched as if he had been about to reach out and hold one of hers, but then he thought better of it. Huffing indignantly, Rukia's eyes blazed as she snatched Renji's hand and pulled it onto her lap.

When Renji made a choking noise and gaped up at her like a beached fish, Rukia's complexion became rosy as she declared, "You're going to be in a world of pain in a moment, so I thought it would be better if you squeezed my hand when it became too much rather than you thrashing about and making your injury ten times worse! That's all!"

Needless to say, most of the adults had an immensely difficult time keeping their expressions neutral. The one exception was Urahara, who actually made eye contact with Rukia as she clambered up into the back of the wagon (Chad lifted her this time) and winked at her. Rukia pretended she hadn't noticed.

* * *

The following week, while Renji was properly tended to and allowed to recuperate, the next stage of Aizen's plan was set into motion: crowning a new king and proper leader for Soul Society. While most were suspicious of the true motive behind the coupe was to allow Aizen to seize control as ruler, they were surprised when Aizen revealed to them that he intended to place the former Commander Jyuushiro Ukitake on the throne. Being the king's cousin, Commander Ukitake rightfully was next in line to succeed the throne now that King Tamashi and his immediate family had relinquished their own claims.

Several years previously, Commander Ukitake had been forced to resign his position in the army due to poor health. 'Poor' only in the sense that from time to time the commander would struggle with bouts of fatigue and dizziness. While these attacks never lasted for longer than an hour or two in extreme cases with long periods in between, their unpredictability and overall crippling effect made it impossible for Commander Ukitake to feel comfortable about continuing to lead his regiment. After that, Ukitake had chosen to retreat to his castle and holdings peacefully since he didn't feel as though he would be warmly welcomed by the king into the royal court. Reason being, there had been several times throughout the years when Ukitake had carefully yet insistently pressed the king to approve or disprove matters concerning the betterment of the army and the common people.

So, to the utter amazement of the common people, an announcement was circulated throughout Soul Society that King Tamashi had abandoned the country in the face of an invasion from the armies of Hueco Mundo. Less than a day later, the entire population began to clamor for the immediate coronation of Jyuushiro Ukitake and three days after that their demands were met.

As for Aizen, his hard work was rewarded about two years later when he was promoted to general after Yamamoto stepped down. Soon after that, he also became one of the king's personal advisers when the country went to war.

In regard to King Barragan and his armies, while Hueco Mundo certainly had numbers on their side, that was their only advantage. When it came to military tactics and weaponry, the Soul Society army was superior. So, in his arrangements with King Barragan, Aizen had agreed to open trade with Hueco Mundo and sell them weaponry (not their best or most advanced, to be sure) in exchange for support in the campaign to crown a new king. The relatively peaceful relations between the two countries lasted until just before Aizen was promoted. While some may have contended that these instances were a bit too coincidental, no one ever felt the need to pursue the matter further.

While all this upheaval was going on, Yoruichi, Urahara, Captain Ichimaru, Lieutenant Izuru and several other officers made sure that Ichigo and the others were left alone. In a rare gesture of borderline kindness, while it was publicly declared that Captain Kurosaki, Captain Yasutora, Captain Ishida, Lady Inoue, Cadet Abarai and Tatsuki Yasutora were fully exonerated of the charges of treason, Commander Aizen made sure that no details as to what had actually happened to them over the past two years were revealed.

After Renji had fallen asleep that first night, while sitting next to his bedside, Rukia had looked over at Ichigo and asked hushed tone, "Captain Kurosaki. Can I ask you a question?"

When Ichigo gave a nod of consent, Rukia licked her lips before saying, "This afternoon I'm pretty sure I saw Captain Ichimaru slip you a piece of paper. And I was just wondering..."

This time nodding in understanding, Ichigo said quietly, "'There is more at stake than you realize.'"

Curled up against Ichigo's side with his arm securely holding her against him, Orihime's face had a faraway expression as she said vaguely, "So many people...so many people hurt...hurt because..."

Closing his eyes and turning his head to bury the lower half of his face in his wife's hair, Ichigo said in a strained whisper, "Orihime don't. Please, don't do this."

"But Ichigo-"

"I know. But please...don't."

Trembling fingers reaching out to grip his free hand, Orihime nodded as she inhaled deeply to try and calm her rising emotions. It took Rukia a while to translate their conversation and when she did, her heart threatened to crack under the weight of that knowledge. Even after all they had been through...

* * *

The day of the coronation, while the majority of the people were flocking to the palace to witness the coronation of their new leader, a small group of people crested the hill overlooking Castle Tensho Tensa. They remained there for a time drinking in the sight of home in more than two years with the exceptions of Renji and Rukia who were both seeing it for the first time.

Finally, Ichigo said in a husky tone, "Let's go," and in no time at all, the castle walls were looming above them. However, they were anything but foreboding because as soon as the group came within full view of those standing on the castle walls, the massive front gates were opened and a crowd of people rushed forward to greet the travelers.

Riding in the wagon, Rukia had a wonderful view of the entire event.

A woman with long, light brown hair was racing ahead of the others and as Ichigo rushed forward to close the gap, Rukia realized that she was likely Lady Masaki. Just behind her, two more girls, whom Rukia assumed were Karin and Yuzu, crashed into their mother and brother and nearly sent the lot of them sprawling on the ground. Then, just as quickly as she embraced her brother, Yuzu let go to rush over and throw her arms around Uryu as she buried her face in his tunic and began to sob. Wrapping one arm around her back and the other higher so that her could cradle the back of her head, Uryu's bent his head until his forehead touched Yuzu's hair. When a man and woman ran forward to pull both Chad and Tatsuki into a group hug, Rukia assumed that they must be Tatsuki's parents. As for Orihime, she had long since been drawn in by the arms of Masaki and Karin.

Observing more movement from the gates, Rukia blinked away her tears in order to see more clearly, but that proved to be a fruitless endeavor soon after. Three men were painstakingly making their way towards the group, but that was due to the man in the middle leaning heavily on the two on either side of him for support. Allowing her gaze to drift downwards, Rukia felt her throat tighten as she realized the reason why.

"Oh, Sora..."

Pulling herself away from her husband and two of her in-laws, Orihime staggered forward the first few steps before absentmindedly snatching at her skirts and sprinting towards her brother, who was being supported by Lord Isshin and the former Commander Ryuuken Ishida. Hearing a kind of strangled cry that she assumed was Sora calling his sister's name, Rukia no longer attempted to keep her tears in check. Coming to a halt within arm's reach of her brother, Orihime waited until Isshin stepped away and Sora held out his free arm to her before allowing herself to fall carefully yet desperately into her brother's embrace. When he was sure that Sora would be fine using his sister and one remaining leg to remain balanced and upright, Ryuuken also pulled back to allow the siblings time to greet and grieve for each other.

Feeling a hand gently covering hers, Rukia looked over and saw Renji trying to hold back his own tears as he nodded to indicate that they should join the others. Looking around, Rukia saw that Kisuke and Yoruichi had already gotten out of the wagon to greet their old friends. While the majority of her brain was saying she should remain where she was since she didn't actually know any of them, Rukia's body followed Renji's prompting and she climbed down after him. Then, almost instinctively, they blindly groped for the other's hand a moment or two before they succeeded.

As the others began making their way towards the castle gates, Renji and Rukia (hands still woven together) followed behind with Rukia holding the wagon horses' reigns to lead them along. Mugetsu, Brazo Gigante and the other riding horses had already begun making their way inside as if they knew they would finally be relieved of their burdens and allowed to rest in peace and comfort for at least a few days.

They had come home at last. At least, that's what Rukia thought to herself even though subconsciously she didn't include herself in that sentiment. And actually, Rukia wasn't allowed to hold on to that thought for much longer.

When everyone finally gathered in a large group and had properly greeted each other (while Ryuuken stood back and merely nodded to everyone in greeting, Uryu was not allowed to escape from Isshin's and Masaki's warm greetings...although it didn't seem to Rukia as if the young man really minded the affectionate gestures), Karin looked Renji over before she said, "I'm guessing you're my brother's cadet."

Saluting with his free hand, Renji introduced himself, saying, "Cadet Renji Abarai. It's an honor to finally meet you all."

"Same to you," replied Masaki before looking over at Rukia and asking, "And who might you be?"

Swallowing and then clearing her throat, Rukia inclined her head and said, "I'm Rukia, Lady Kurosaki."

"Well, it is very nice to meet you both," said Masaki warmly, "We're all anxious to hear everything that's happened to everyone the past two years."

Inside the great hall, food had already been prepared and laid out for everyone to eat and rejuvenate themselves. After that, Ichigo cleared his throat and began the long explanation of all their trials and struggles. When he needed to pause either to wet his dry throat or merely regain control of his emotions when the narrative touched on subjects he was still recouping from, Uryu or Tatsuki would usually step in and continue on until Ichigo was ready to resume. The others listened without verbal interruption, but that didn't mean there weren't gasps of horror, tears shed or reaching out to grasp a loved one's hands as the story unfolded. When it was finished, no one spoke for a time as they absorbed all the information until finally Yuzu broke the silence with a hushed inquiry.

"Why wasn't Riruka seeing them all in human form enough to break the spell?"

As one, everyone turned to look at Kisuke, who seemed to have been expecting just such a question to be asked as he replied, "Well, while I can't answer with any amount of certainty, I do have a possible theoretical explanation if no one objects to hearing it."

Obviously, no one said a word, so Kisuke adopted a kind of studious and learned air as he said, "Besides Riruka looking at everyone in their true forms, there was one only one person-"

"Kisuke..." said Yoruichi in a 'don't-you-dare-go-off-on-a-tangent-right-now-and-just-get-to-the-point-already' tone, to which Kisuke responded with a sigh before he said simply, "I believe Rukia, who herself was not under any sort of spell, acted as a kind of catalyst when she touched or was touched by two people who had previously been on opposite sides of the spell."

Again, everyone paused for a moment to mull over that bit of information before Rukia herself blinked and asked in a perplexed tone, "I did what?"

Smiling indulgently, Kisuke replied, "You, my dear girl, played a crucial role in breaking the curse. You acted as a kind of bridge between the two groups during the short time when they were human."

"I don't-" began Rukia before Renji interrupted her, asking, "You mean like when Captain Ishida and I grabbed her when she was about to tumble out of the wagon? But that was before Riruka saw us, so how did that work?"

Holding up his hands, Kisuke said, "Like I said, it is merely a theory of mine, but when it comes to spells, if there is more than one component needed in order to break it, that doesn't mean each step needs to be done in a certain order. When all the criteria are met, that's it."

Rukia was snapped out of her complete amazement when she felt fingertips patting their way up her hand. Looking over, she saw that Sora was attempting to take her hand. Besides the loss of his leg after it had been crushed, there was also a long scar running along the left side of his face which had cost Sora his eye. While he could still see somewhat out of his right eye, it was more light sensitive now so Sora kept it closed most of the time and was training himself to use his other senses more.

Without a second thought, Rukia turned her hand over and wrapped her fingers around Sora's searching hand and he responded by giving it a warm squeeze as he said in a grateful, cracked whisper, "Thank you, Rukia."

For the next five minutes, Rukia was nearly smothered by all the hugs and gratitude showered upon her. She was not the same girl from almost a month ago who kept everyone else at a distance and only trusted herself in an effort to stay alive. Before she could stop herself, Rukia found herself hoping against hope that these people might want her to stay. Maybe not as a part of their family, but Rukia was certain she could never return to her life on the streets again. While a part of her brain rebelled and told her to stop being so selfish and self-absorbed, Rukia couldn't help herself. More than having a roof over her head, Rukia wanted to stay with Orihime, with Captain Kurosaki, with Chad, with Tatsuki, with Uryu, with Renji, with everyone they cared about.

Once again showing an uncanny ability to understand Rukia's thoughts, Ichigo gestured for quiet and waited until he had everyone's attention before he looked at the anxious girl and said, "When we first met, I told you that I had no idea if, when or how I was ever going to compensate you should you choose to help us. I think now is as good a time as any to readdress that particular topic."

Pausing for a moment or two, Ichigo said in a tone to match the almost tender expression on his face, "However, before you get the wrong impression, I want you to know that in my mind none of us will ever be able to fully repay you for what you've done for us. We are finally home thanks to you. If you want..."

No more words were needed.

Finding a home with people you have come to care deeply about is not a reward or compensation for a job done well. It is a gift. A blessing. And Rukia didn't think she would ever receive anything else that could possibly be more precious. And that was the case until about ten years later. Actually, it wasn't so much that she _received_ something precious as much as she was _told_ by someone how precious she was to them. Or _him_ , to be more precise...

* * *

After their homecoming, Ichigo and Orihime had a long talk with Isshin, Masaki and Sora. They all agreed that while Ichigo and Orihime were legally married, they thought it would be best for everyone if the couple 'remarried' and started their marriage afresh. While Ichigo and Orihime would never fully forget those hard and heart-breaking two years, they wanted to look back on the day they got married and remember all their loved ones being present with them and supporting them as they entered a new stage of life.

Three days later, another wedding ceremony was held. It was supposed to be a quiet, intimate affair, but somehow word got around the castle and down into Karakura, so that on the day, all the streets were packed with people wanting to wish the couple all the best. Presents from the well-wishers were packed into the front hall, making it nearly impossible for anyone to go in or out without bumping into something.

As for the actual ceremony, everything progressed smoothly until the very end when the chaplain had just finished pronouncing Ichigo and Orihime as 'man and wife' and was about to ask if Ichigo would care to kiss his bride.

In the time since the spell had been broken, while Ichigo and Orihime had held one another in an effort to give the other comfort and support, they had not gone any further. Again, even though they both knew they were already technically 'husband and wife', they had agreed that until everything was made official in front of all their loved ones they would put everything that relationship entailed on hold. This was a separation of choice rather than force, but it was a separation nevertheless and neither one wanted to be apart from the other for an extended period of time ever again.

So, as Ichigo and Orihime were standing and looking down at where their hands were clasped together as the ceremony came to a close, one could almost taste the anticipation, the longing in the air. They had come so far. Gone through so much. Now, they were about to leave that all behind them and move forward into a brighter future together.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you two husband and wife."

Immediately after she heard those words, Orihime looked up at Ichigo with a smile completely devoid of any pain and sadness her face almost glowing with complete and utter joy. Ichigo's response was to extract one of his hands from hers so that he could cup one side of her face. His expression in that moment was a combination of relief, contentment and peace.

"Viscount Kurosaki, you may-"

The entire atmosphere was obliterated by what seemed like an earth-shattering noise coming from the audience. In less time that it takes to blink, Ichigo shoved Orihime behind him, his eyes flicking in every direction trying to find the source of the noise. Tatsuki, Renji and even Rukia shot out of their seats and began looking about them as well, ready for trouble. Next instant, they all felt immensely foolish as they realized that it had merely been Isshin sneezing really, really loudly and suddenly.

"Sorry," called Isshin with a nervous chuckle. Masaki's expression remained calm and placid, while Karin seemed to groan as she reached up to massage the bridge of her nose.

"Well, that was unexpected," said the chaplain in an attempt at levity, "I thought we already got past the 'objections' part," which earned him a few chuckles from the audience.

Clearing his throat, the chaplain looked at Ichigo and Orihime as he said, "If we are prepared to proceed..." and allowed the question to hang in the air. Shaking his head while his cheeks began to flush slightly, Ichigo gently pulled Orihime from behind him and turned so that he was facing her once again. Looking over at Isshin just long enough to give him a small smile, Orihime lifted her eyes and they began to sparkle as she returned Ichigo's gaze.

"Viscount Kurosaki, you may kiss the bride."

This time, Ichigo lifted both hands to cup Orihime's face and slowly lowered his face to hers. Half an inch before their lips met, it seemed as though Ichigo hesitated long enough to scan the audience and make sure there would be no more interruptions before he kissed his bride for the very first time.

Their last barrier was torn down in that moment. They were free. And Rukia was sure this moment would shine in their memories brightly enough to overwhelm any thoughts of the previous two years.

She was right.

 **Author's Note:**

njacwdscijnewlckidnvkdvn...finally...it's done...

Thank you to everyone for all your encouraging words. You guys are the reason I keep writing.

A bit later I might add more to this note and eventually I may come back and revise this tory, but right now I just want to post this and hit the 'Complete' button. I'm ready to move on to the next project. :)


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